Chapter 252

"This thing responds to the rift's energy. If I can figure out how it works, maybe we can use it to detect rifts before they open."

Mark folded his arms. "And what about the woman? The one who helped close the rift?"

"She disappeared as soon as the rift closed," John said. "But she knew too much to be just a bystander. I think she's one of them."

"One of what?" Naomi asked.

John looked up, his eyes hard. "People who've seen this before. Maybe even fought it."

The warehouse fell into a hush again. The idea that this had happened before, or was happening elsewhere, was unsettling. The world felt too fragile now, the illusion of normalcy cracking with every passing hour.

Later that afternoon, Gilbert called them over. He had several monitors set up on a makeshift table, lines of data scrolling across them, maps flashing, red pins dropping one by one.