The first sign was not fear. It was hesitation. Kai noticed it in the silence between words, in the way people paused before finishing sentences, as if something unseen might be listening too closely.The rebuilt world had learned to breathe again after the fracture, but now its breath caught in its throat.The city of Halcyon stood awake beneath a pale sky, its towers humming softly with stabilized Pattern-light. Human voices filled the streets, vendors arguing prices, children laughing, lovers whispering promises. Ordinary. Human.And wrong. Kai stopped at the edge of the plaza as a man arguing with a street vendor suddenly went quiet mid-sentence. “I said the price was”The man froze. His eyes unfocused. “…never mind,” he finished softly. “It’s fine.”The vendor frowned. “What? You were just”“I know,” the man said, unsettled. “I just… felt like I shouldn’t say it.”Kai turned slowly. Around them, similar moments rippled outward, conversations cut short, laughter dying into polite