The corridor did not stop adapting once they crossed.
It began remembering.
The stone beneath their feet subtly reshaped itself with each step, ridges smoothing where Adrian had anchored too hard, fissures closing where Liliana's water had dampened the surge. Mana currents adjusted, no longer testing raw output but timing, coordination, restraint. The pressure became less obvious and more insidious, slipping into the spaces between actions, waiting for hesitation.
Merlin felt the shift and slowed his pace just enough to force the others to unconsciously match him. The system noticed that too. Its attention pressed closer, like a hand hovering near his shoulder without quite touching.
Nathan leaned in, voice barely audible. "It's copying us."
"Not copying," Merlin replied. "Profiling."
That earned him a tight look. "You say that like it's worse."
"It is."
