The second buffer pulse miscalculated phase delay by 0.004 seconds.
Tiny.
Humanly insignificant.
Cosmically dangerous.
One Boundary Star flared brighter than intended.
Gravitational tides shifted enough to trigger a chain of electrical storms across three continents.
No catastrophic damage.
But undeniable anomaly.
Global media ignited.
The Preservation Front froze further pulses.
Kaito corrected the flare with controlled equilibrium rotation.
But internally—
The strain doubled.
The Watcher's geometry rotated faster.
Intervention probability rising.