At first, it was the lights.

Gray noticed them before Hale did—soft flickers in the street lamps that lined the Haven perimeter, rippling in perfect sync like the city itself was inhaling. The air seemed heavier too, humming faintly with static.

“Power fluctuation?” Gray asked, squinting up.

Hale shook his head. “No. Look—”

The pulse rolled again. Every tower in Haven’s skyline shimmered, data conduits glowing faintly beneath their exteriors, threads of blue-white light ...