CHAPTER 5 — “Trace Analysis”

Chapter 5 dips into analysis on the surface, but underneath it’s the first time the anomaly tries to respond. The alloy shard reacting to observation, the shifting signatures, the half-formed ring — none of it is accidental. It’s the quiet suggestion that whatever moves through the station is watching back, and learning as it’s seen.Idris slips into the chapter as a contrast point: someone who senses the edges of the truth and immediately steps away from it. His fear isn’t just tension — it’s a reminder of how far Riven and Calyx have already crossed the line without noticing.And the final hash, changing in real time under their gaze, is the bridge. This is where the mystery stops being one-sided. Not a pursuit. Not a threat. A conversation — incomplete, unshared, but undeniably mutual.