For a moment—
Nothing moved.
The city held its breath.
The Hunter stood still.
Not defeated.
Not weakened.
Paused.
And that alone—
Was impossible.
Because he was not meant to hesitate.
The girl slowly released the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.
"Why isn't he doing anything?"
Cael didn't answer.
Because he could feel it.
The fracture wasn't gone.
It was bleeding.
Not pain.
Pressure.
Like reality itself was pushing back.
The Hunter finally spoke.
"You altered resolution."
No accusation.
No anger.
Observation.
"That is not permitted."
Cael almost laughed.
"Then stop me."
A dangerous thing to say.
Because the moment the words left his mouth—
The world reacted.
Not with sound.
But with weight.
The sky darkened slightly.
Not clouds.
Not weather.
Correction.
The Hunter's gaze shifted upward briefly.
As if listening.
Because something had begun.
Above—
Beyond the observers—
Beyond the systems—
Beyond even the mechanisms that created inevitability—
A deeper layer stirred.
"You forced divergence," the Hunter said quietly.
And now—
He stepped forward again.
But this time—
Reality did not align with him.
It resisted.
Like two answers trying to exist in the same equation.
Cael felt the fracture flare again.
Hot.
Unstable.
The paths returned—
But now they were damaged.
Cracked endings.
Missing transitions.
Choice—
Had consequences.
"What happens now?" the girl asked.
Cael stared at his wrist.
"I think… I broke something."
The Hunter stopped just short of him.
Not restrained.
Held back.
Because something else—
Was intervening.
Above—
The observers no longer spoke.
They watched.
Because this was no longer correction.
This was evolution.
"You have introduced uncertainty," the Hunter said.
"And uncertainty has cost."
The fractured light burned sharply.
And suddenly—
A memory vanished.
Gone.
Not stolen.
Not exchanged.
Removed.
Cael staggered.
The girl caught him.
"What's wrong?!"
He blinked.
There was something—
He couldn't remember.
Not a face.
Not a moment.
Just…
Warmth.
Something that used to matter.
Gone.
"The price," the Hunter said softly.
"Of choice."
Cael's breath shook.
"This wasn't borrowing…"
"No," the Hunter replied.
"This was creation."
And creation—
Demanded balance.
Another pulse.
Another absence.
Not yet.
But coming.
Cael understood now.
Time theft cost memory.
But free will—
Cost identity.
The girl looked at him, terrified.
"Cael… what's happening to you?"
He met her eyes.
And for the first time—
He didn't know the answer.
Above—
Something ancient shifted.
Because unpredictability had appeared.
And it was not meant to survive.
The Hunter stepped back.
Not retreating.
Allowing.
Because now—
The correction would not come from him.
It would come—
From consequence.
"You will continue," he said.
"Until there is nothing left to choose with."
And then—
He was gone.
Not vanished.
Simply no longer necessary.
The street returned to normal.
Noise resumed.
Movement continued.
But Cael knew.
This wasn't victory.
This was debt.
And somewhere deep inside—
Something important—
Was already missing.