Chapter 1027

Along the path, the quiet felt heavy. No birds. No insect hum. Even the leaves seemed reluctant to rustle. Jude pressed a hand to the nearest glyph-stone, its surface oddly warm despite the damp. "They're watching more than before," Serena whispered. "They're showing us something."

"We're being invited," Jude replied. "Or tested."

Natalie knelt and placed her palm against a spiraled rune. "No. This feels like warning. Like something's about to open."

They found the southern boundary in disarray. Several ribbons had been cut clean through, not torn or frayed, but sliced by something too sharp for bone or claw. Jude crouched and examined the cuts. A shimmer traced the severed ends, faint but unmistakable. "Watcher light," he muttered.

Serena gathered some of the pieces, slipping them into her pouch. "Should we rebuild this perimeter?"