Dawn did not arrive softly.
It arrived organized.
At 05:42, before first bell, twelve black-sleeved enforcement units entered the outer academic ring through three access gates simultaneously.
Not instructors.
Not regular Oversight staff.
Containment personnel.
No announcements.
No sirens.
Precision.
They moved in a grid.
Not fast.
Not aggressive.
Just visible enough.
Students in early training blocks noticed first.
Then dorm windows lit up one by one as notifications began appearing.
STRUCTURAL STABILITY PROTOCOL — ACTIVE ENFORCEMENT PHASE
Unauthorized cross-rank congregation will be dispersed.
Noncompliance will result in temporary relocation.
Temporary.
Always temporary.
That word again.
Dreyden was already awake.
He hadn't slept much.
Not from anxiety.
From timing.
He felt the shift before the notification arrived.
Pressure changes in systems were like atmospheric drops before a storm.
He stood at the window of his dorm and counted.
