Page 12 - DivineSparkRising II-TheMirrorofSilenceFinal

Divine Spark Rising
Joe stopped wiping the machine. “Maybe it was
in your head.”
“Maybe that’s where everything is,” she replied.
The door chimed as a courier entered, earbuds
dangling. “You’re all talking about The Echo,
right?” he said, setting his phone on the counter.
The screen was blank except for one word glowing
faintly in the corner: LISTEN.
“Can’t get rid of it,” he said. “Reboots, wipes,
resets. Still there.”
Nobody spoke.
Outside, traffic lights cycled as usual, but no
horns sounded. People crossed the street carefully,
making eye contact and letting each other pass. It
was as if the city had been reminded how to share a
sentence.
In the café, Elena looked around. “You think it’ll
happen again?”
Joe shrugged. “If it does,” he said, “I hope I’m
holding something worth hearing.”
The clock above the counter ticked once, then
stopped for half a beat before continuing. Across
the world, others noticed the same thing.
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