Alice remained motionless for a fraction of a second after murmuring that, but it wasn't hesitation—it was calculation. Her mind wasn't panicking, despite the verbal conclusion; on the contrary, it was organizing the information with a speed that surpassed any ordinary human process. The problem wasn't a lack of ability. It was scale. Shiva's pattern wasn't just efficient… it was too complete. Each of his movements didn't exist in isolation; it already contained the answer to the next reaction, creating a self-reinforcing, closed cycle.
And that… made any attempt at direct confrontation predictable.
Still, Alice didn't back down.
