During the third field trial, the superconducting ring stopped measuring the chamber.

It began measuring Kaia.

Each of the six ferroglass panels shifted to a different magnetic vector, hovering close enough to follow her movements without ever touching. Kaia stepped into the centre, rested one hand beside the polarity clasp and drew a loop of liquid metal through the air with the other.

The engineers had repeatedly questioned why her suit left so much skin exposed.

Kaia watched the ferrofluid tremble before the instruments registered anything unusual.

“Machines conceal small errors,” she told them. “Skin feels them.”

A heartbeat later, the ring’s containment field failed.

Kaia closed her fingers—and caught the collapse before it reached anyone else.