“The Confluence beacon guttered twice during the last gathering — out entirely for one breath, then back. Joe stood at the plaza's edge the whole time, watching. He did not move toward it. He never does.”
Follow the threadEmbercub lit the beacon once — and has been sniffing at it ever since →“Embercub has started visiting the beacon mount at night, just to sniff at it — the way you check a stove that went cold. His tail-flame leans toward the mount the whole time, like a sunflower.”
Follow the threadAuriclaw is destined to light the beacon next — nobody knows why →“Auriclaw stopped mid-scale during her dawn practice and stared toward the Confluence for a long time. The Bloomfawns swear she flinched at exactly the hour the beacon guttered. She denies flinching. She is a terrible liar.”
Follow the threadThe beacon guttered once before — the keeper logs all agree →Dawnreach, where the light arrives a breath early →“The Veil's border was knocked from the inside last night. Once. Obsidrake checked the outside anyway, out of habit, and found only his own footprints — still warm, and facing the wrong way.”
Follow the threadObsidrake guards the Veil's border — and has not slept since the first knocks →