The boom faded, but the forest did not hurry to fill the space it left behind. The canopy stayed unnaturally still for several breaths, leaves held in place as if the air itself had been told to wait.
Ethan felt his team mirror that pause without needing to be told. They listened, not just for another shockwave, but for the smaller signs that mattered more, branches settling, insects resuming their hum, the forest deciding whether to pretend nothing had happened.
Nothing followed.
The token on Ethan's wrist pulsed once, a steady, neutral confirmation that the system remained active and aware.
The two blue markers on his map continued their slow, deliberate approach, closing distance without hesitation.
Whatever had struck the sky had not disrupted the exam's core logic. Regrouping was still viable. Panic was not useful.
"Keep moving," Ethan said quietly. "Eyes up and don't sprint, so that we don't freeze when there is danger."
