Noah stepped back from the space of shared consciousness with the easy grace of one accustomed to such things.
The quickest to react was, unsurprisingly, the hidden Living Law!
Kaedric Voss moved with fluid precision, stepping forward in a motion that seemed casual but carried within it the coiled readiness of a predator suddenly alert to potential threat.
His youthful features- still maintaining that carefully constructed facade of harmlessness- sharpened as his eyes swept over Noah and Sigrid with the systematic thoroughness of a Living Law.
Simultaneously, Seraphina Valorheart’s instincts kicked into full awareness.
Her hands found Alexander’s shoulders and pulled him back slightly while her body shifted to place itself squarely between him and them!
When she spoke, her voice carried the crisp authority of someone accustomed to being obeyed without question, but it was extremely cautious!
"Who are you?"
...!
Noah’s response was casual, his smile deepening with what could only be described as genuine amusement.
"I am actually someone who is rooting for you, Seraphina," he said, his voice carrying encouragement!
Without waiting for a response, Noah turned and began walking away, his hand finding Sigrid’s with the natural ease.
Their departure was unhurried, almost leisurely, as if they were simply continuing a pleasant stroll.
Behind them, Seraphina stood frozen in shocked confusion.
She turned to Alexander with the sharp movement of someone seeking answers.
"Who are they?" she whispered,"You did not mention others knowing your identity..."
Alexander’s response was measured, delivered with the careful neutrality. His hands rose to gently remove hers from his shoulders, the gesture simultaneously intimate and distancing as he sought to reestablish the boundaries that were there.
"They are just some friends, nothing to worry about."
WAA!
Seraphina blinked, and a moment later, she tilted her head as she replied truthfully.
"You... do not have any friends."
...!
"..." Alexander could not entirely deny this!
He offered no reply, choosing instead to release a sigh as he simply began moving forward.
Seraphina turned to Kaedric Voss.
The Living Law’s response was delivered with the lazy drawl of someone whose attention was already moving on to other concerns.
"Yeah, yeah, I’ll keep an eye on them," he said, his tone carrying casual dismissiveness.
"They are just mere Fold Dwellers."
...!
In the distance, Noah’s smile widened as the words reached his hearing. His gaze shifted forward, focusing on the magnificent structure that awaited them just ahead.
The Living Coalition Gateway rose before them like a monument, its archway wrought from golden brilliance that seemed to pulse with its own inner rhythm.
The light that emanated from its surface was welcoming, carrying within it the promise of recognition and purpose that had drawn countless beings across impossible distances to stand before its threshold.
Each individual or group that passed through the gateway was subjected to a gentle but thorough analysis, their very essence examined and catalogued.
Within seconds of crossing that threshold, the results of that examination would manifest in the form of a rune- one of nine possible designations that would determine not just their immediate fate but their role in the Battlefront Folds reaching towards the Loom!
Noah watched with fascination as an entire group moved through the gateway’s embrace, their forms bathed in the analytical light before being marked with the multicolored brilliance that designated them as products of the Quantum Folds.
The newly designated Fold Dwellers passed through with expressions of hopeful anticipation, their steps carrying them toward what Noah now recognized as the next stage of their journey.
Beyond the gateway lay a white circular clearing that served as a gathering point for those who had received their designations.
His distinction as thr Weaver of Existence flashed as the identity of this space bloomed!
The Circle of Convergence!
The Circle of Convergence was surrounded by nine smaller statues, each one a scaled-down version of the magnificent monuments that crowned the floating continents above.
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