The moment Kaito crossed the Threshold, fluctuations began.
Minor at first.
Ocean tides became irregular. Magnetic fields wavered slightly. The twin Boundary Stars flickered as their axis extended beyond immediate range.
Silver Eyes strained to compensate.
"I can maintain structure," she whispered into the global lattice. "But not precision."
Governments noticed within hours.
Energy grids experienced anomalies. Long-range communication distorted intermittently. Astronomical instruments reported micro-lensing distortions near the Boundary.
The Preservation Front seized the narrative.
"He abandoned us," their spokesperson declared publicly. "The sky shakes the moment he leaves."
Meanwhile, Ascendant rallies intensified.
"He walks among the architects of the cosmos!"
Protests clashed violently in major cities.
And in the shadows, remnants of the Fracture Cult began rebuilding—this time quietly.
High above, one of the divided Core halves shifted half a degree off alignment.
Silver Eyes tightened every thread she could.
"Kaito," she whispered across impossible distance, unsure if he could hear her, "return before the rotation drifts."
But beyond the Boundary—
He was witnessing something far more urgent.