The Seam began to tremble around them, the threads in the Threadweave flickering as though under strain. E turned sharply, his expression darkening.

“It’s happening faster than I thought,” he muttered.

“What is?” Selene demanded, panic rising in her chest.

“The unraveling,” he said, gesturing to the Threadweave. “Time’s stability is weakening. If we don’t act soon, the threads will snap, and the Seam will collapse.”

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Selene swallowed hard. “What does that mean? What happens if it collapses?”

“The connections between past, present, and future will be severed,” E said grimly. “Moments will cease to exist. People will forget who they are, where they’ve been, and where they’re going.”

Her stomach turned. “What do we do?”

E met her gaze, his expression unreadable. “We find the source of the fraying. Something—or someone—is pulling the threads apart.”

Selene clenched her fists. “You said Lydia was here before me. Did she cause this?”

“No,” E said. “But her actions left ripples, just as yours will. The Seam doesn’t forget, Selene, and every choice leaves a mark.”