Page 169 - DivineSparkRising II-TheMirrorofSilenceFinal

Nicholas Boothman
Chapter 17: The Inversion
1. The Edge of the Engine
The platform trembled like a string plucked by a
hand you couldn’t see.
Below, the data tower breathed in measured
flashes, each pulse a small verdict. Cables fell in
silver lines. Far above, the river’s weight pressed a
cold patience through concrete.
Carolina watched numbers on her analyzer fall
away until the screen chose one word and held it:
GATE.
“Not an output,” she murmured. “A hinge.”
Henry leaned on the rail, forearm throbbing
where the Redactor had branded him. The ache
kept him honest.
Sera stood with both palms flat against the rail,
eyes closed, like a singer feeling the hall.
169