Chapter 101 The First Decision

• Time stopped. Not figuratively — it ceased. No breath. No heartbeat. No wind.
• Only Lucy stood unaffected, her flame tethered to something deeper than existence. She clutched the spiral pendant beneath her armor, grounding herself. Scott hovered behind her, barely breathing, his void-mark glowing faintly against the suspended air. Jacobs stood to her right, blade drawn — though it looked more like memory than weapon in this place.
• Before them, the First Decision descended. Not walking — unfolding.