In that instant, the air deep within the base underwent an extremely subtle change in density. It was not a change in temperature, wind speed, or sound—it occurred within a deeper structure, as if the tension of space itself had been readjusted for a moment before returning to its original state. The change lasted an extremely short time, less than a breath, before fading away.
Eida raised her gaze at the same moment the change occurred. She had originally been looking at the wall in front of her, but in that instant, her eyes shifted away from it toward the main passage—not at the visible surface of its entrance, but at the section of air facing the entrance. In the room, where the lighting technique was set to a lower output, her eyes appeared a lighter blue than usual. The area of her irises near the pupils was paler than the outer edges, making it seem brighter than the surrounding areas in the dim environment. When she spoke, her volume and pace remained the same as before. "Someone's here. The door is already opening."
Her voice traveled through the passage for several breaths before a set of moderately paced footsteps came from the direction of the main passage. Code moved from the middle section of the passage toward the entrance. As he passed Delta, seated beside the long table, he glanced at her, confirming that she too had sensed the signal at the passage entrance that did not belong to anyone inside the base. He continued forward and stopped roughly two steps from the entrance.
Daemon rose from the corner. He moved a little faster than he usually did when getting up from his seat. He did not walk forward, merely stood from his chair and faced the passage entrance.