diff --git a/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/usage/components/ProviderTopology.js b/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/usage/components/ProviderTopology.js
index 57b217a3..7db34791 100644
--- a/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/usage/components/ProviderTopology.js
+++ b/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/usage/components/ProviderTopology.js
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import {
   Handle,
   Position,
   Controls,
+  BaseEdge,
+  getBezierPath,
 } from "@xyflow/react";
 import "@xyflow/react/dist/style.css";
 import { AI_PROVIDERS } from "@/shared/constants/providers";
@@ -16,6 +18,10 @@ import { getProviderIconSrc, markProviderIconMissing } from "@/shared/utils/prov
 const FE_ACTIVE_TIMEOUT_MS = 60000;
 const FE_ACTIVE_TICK_MS = 1000;
 
+// Kame + electric particles along active edges
+const KAME_PARTICLE_COUNT = 6;
+const SPARK_COUNT = 5;
+
 function getProviderConfig(providerId) {
   return AI_PROVIDERS[providerId] || { color: "#6b7280", name: providerId };
 }
@@ -88,19 +94,34 @@ ProviderNode.propTypes = {
   data: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
 };
 
-// Center 9Router node
+// Center 9Router node — pulse/glow on card only (no expanding rings)
 function RouterNode({ data }) {
+  const powering = (data.activeCount || 0) > 0;
   return (
-    <div className="flex items-center justify-center px-5 py-3 rounded-xl border-2 border-primary bg-primary/5 shadow-md min-w-[130px]">
+    <div
+      className={`relative z-[1] flex items-center justify-center px-5 py-3 rounded-xl border-2 min-w-[130px] ${
+        powering
+          ? "topology-router-core border-yellow-300 bg-gradient-to-br from-primary/30 via-yellow-400/20 to-cyan-400/25"
+          : "border-primary bg-primary/5 shadow-md"
+      }`}
+    >
       <Handle type="source" position={Position.Top} id="top" className="!bg-transparent !border-0 !w-0 !h-0" />
       <Handle type="source" position={Position.Bottom} id="bottom" className="!bg-transparent !border-0 !w-0 !h-0" />
       <Handle type="source" position={Position.Left} id="left" className="!bg-transparent !border-0 !w-0 !h-0" />
       <Handle type="source" position={Position.Right} id="right" className="!bg-transparent !border-0 !w-0 !h-0" />
 
-      <img src="/favicon.svg" alt="9Router" className="w-6 h-6 mr-2" loading="lazy" decoding="async" />
-      <span className="text-sm font-bold text-primary">9Router</span>
+      <img
+        src="/favicon.svg"
+        alt="9Router"
+        className={`w-6 h-6 mr-2 ${powering ? "topology-router-icon" : ""}`}
+        loading="lazy"
+        decoding="async"
+      />
+      <span className={`text-sm font-bold ${powering ? "topology-router-label text-yellow-300" : "text-primary"}`}>
+        9Router
+      </span>
       {data.activeCount > 0 && (
-        <span className="ml-2 px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded-full bg-primary text-white text-xs font-bold">
+        <span className="ml-2 px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded-full bg-yellow-400 text-black text-xs font-bold topology-router-badge">
           {data.activeCount}
         </span>
       )}
@@ -112,7 +133,131 @@ RouterNode.propTypes = {
   data: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
 };
 
+// Active: electric kame beam (multi-layer stroke + sparks). Idle/last/error: solid BaseEdge.
+function TopologyEdge({
+  id,
+  sourceX,
+  sourceY,
+  targetX,
+  targetY,
+  sourcePosition,
+  targetPosition,
+  style = {},
+  data,
+}) {
+  const [edgePath] = getBezierPath({
+    sourceX,
+    sourceY,
+    sourcePosition,
+    targetX,
+    targetY,
+    targetPosition,
+  });
+  const active = !!data?.active;
+  const stroke = style.stroke || "var(--color-border)";
+  const filterId = `topo-electric-${id}`;
+
+  if (!active) {
+    return <BaseEdge id={id} path={edgePath} style={{ ...style, stroke }} />;
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <g className="topology-edge-electric">
+      <defs>
+        <filter id={filterId} x="-40%" y="-40%" width="180%" height="180%">
+          <feTurbulence type="fractalNoise" baseFrequency="0.9" numOctaves="2" seed="2" result="noise">
+            <animate attributeName="baseFrequency" values="0.8;1.4;0.8" dur="0.25s" repeatCount="indefinite" />
+          </feTurbulence>
+          <feDisplacementMap in="SourceGraphic" in2="noise" scale="3.5" xChannelSelector="R" yChannelSelector="G" />
+        </filter>
+      </defs>
+      {/* Outer electric halo */}
+      <path
+        d={edgePath}
+        fill="none"
+        stroke="#22d3ee"
+        strokeWidth={10}
+        strokeOpacity={0.35}
+        strokeLinecap="round"
+        filter={`url(#${filterId})`}
+        className="topology-edge-halo"
+      />
+      {/* Mid plasma */}
+      <path
+        d={edgePath}
+        fill="none"
+        stroke="#4ade80"
+        strokeWidth={5}
+        strokeOpacity={0.85}
+        strokeLinecap="round"
+        filter={`url(#${filterId})`}
+        className="topology-edge-plasma"
+      />
+      {/* Hot white core */}
+      <BaseEdge
+        id={id}
+        path={edgePath}
+        style={{ stroke: "#f8fafc", strokeWidth: 2.2, opacity: 1 }}
+        className="topology-edge-kame"
+      />
+      {/* Energy orbs */}
+      {Array.from({ length: KAME_PARTICLE_COUNT }, (_, i) => (
+        <circle
+          key={`${id}-p-${i}`}
+          r={i % 2 === 0 ? 4 : 2.5}
+          fill={i % 3 === 0 ? "#fde047" : i % 3 === 1 ? "#67e8f9" : "#fff"}
+          opacity={0.95}
+          style={{ filter: "drop-shadow(0 0 4px #22d3ee)" }}
+        >
+          <animateMotion
+            dur={`${0.4 + i * 0.08}s`}
+            repeatCount="indefinite"
+            path={edgePath}
+            begin={`${i * 0.09}s`}
+          />
+        </circle>
+      ))}
+      {/* Electric sparks (short-lived blink along path) */}
+      {Array.from({ length: SPARK_COUNT }, (_, i) => (
+        <circle
+          key={`${id}-s-${i}`}
+          r={1.8}
+          fill="#e0f2fe"
+          opacity={0}
+        >
+          <animate
+            attributeName="opacity"
+            values="0;1;0;0;1;0"
+            dur={`${0.35 + (i % 3) * 0.1}s`}
+            begin={`${i * 0.07}s`}
+            repeatCount="indefinite"
+          />
+          <animateMotion
+            dur={`${0.28 + i * 0.05}s`}
+            repeatCount="indefinite"
+            path={edgePath}
+            begin={`${i * 0.11}s`}
+          />
+        </circle>
+      ))}
+    </g>
+  );
+}
+
+TopologyEdge.propTypes = {
+  id: PropTypes.string,
+  sourceX: PropTypes.number,
+  sourceY: PropTypes.number,
+  targetX: PropTypes.number,
+  targetY: PropTypes.number,
+  sourcePosition: PropTypes.string,
+  targetPosition: PropTypes.string,
+  style: PropTypes.object,
+  data: PropTypes.object,
+};
+
 const nodeTypes = { provider: ProviderNode, router: RouterNode };
+const edgeTypes = { topology: TopologyEdge };
 
 // Place N nodes evenly along an ellipse around the router center.
 function buildLayout(providers, activeSet, lastSet, errorSet) {
@@ -146,9 +291,9 @@ function buildLayout(providers, activeSet, lastSet, errorSet) {
     draggable: false,
   });
 
-  const edgeStyle = (active, last, error, color) => {
+  const edgeStyle = (active, last, error) => {
     if (error) return { stroke: "#ef4444", strokeWidth: 2.5, opacity: 0.9 };
-    if (active) return { stroke: "#22c55e", strokeWidth: 2.5, opacity: 0.9 };
+    if (active) return { stroke: "#22d3ee", strokeWidth: 3.5, opacity: 1 };
     if (last) return { stroke: "#f59e0b", strokeWidth: 2, opacity: 0.7 };
     return { stroke: "var(--color-border)", strokeWidth: 1, opacity: 0.3 };
   };
@@ -194,12 +339,15 @@ function buildLayout(providers, activeSet, lastSet, errorSet) {
 
     edges.push({
       id: `e-${nodeId}`,
+      type: "topology",
       source: "router",
       sourceHandle,
       target: nodeId,
       targetHandle,
-      animated: active,
-      style: edgeStyle(active, last, error, config.color),
+      // Built-in animated uses stroke-dasharray (CPU-heavy); use particle beam instead
+      animated: false,
+      data: { active },
+      style: edgeStyle(active, last, error),
     });
   });
 
@@ -252,7 +400,7 @@ export default function ProviderTopology({ providers = [], activeRequests = [],
 
   const { nodes, edges } = useMemo(
     () => buildLayout(providers, activeSet, lastSet, errorSet),
-    [providers, activeSet, lastKey, errorKey]
+    [providers, activeSet, lastSet, errorSet]
   );
 
   // Stable key — only remount when provider list changes
@@ -300,6 +448,7 @@ export default function ProviderTopology({ providers = [], activeRequests = [],
           nodes={nodes}
           edges={edges}
           nodeTypes={nodeTypes}
+          edgeTypes={edgeTypes}
           fitView
           fitViewOptions={fitOpts}
           minZoom={0.1}
diff --git a/src/app/globals.css b/src/app/globals.css
index fdc219ba..5fd9d0b5 100644
--- a/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/src/app/globals.css
@@ -442,6 +442,68 @@ button:disabled,
   opacity: 0.04;
 }
 
+/* Topology: router card pulse (no flying rings) + electric edge beam */
+@keyframes topology-router-pulse {
+  0%, 100% {
+    transform: scale(1);
+    box-shadow:
+      0 0 8px #fde047,
+      0 0 20px color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-primary) 65%, transparent),
+      0 0 32px rgba(34, 211, 238, 0.4),
+      inset 0 0 10px rgba(253, 224, 71, 0.3);
+  }
+  50% {
+    transform: scale(1.06);
+    box-shadow:
+      0 0 14px #fef08a,
+      0 0 28px #facc15,
+      0 0 44px rgba(34, 211, 238, 0.6),
+      inset 0 0 14px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25);
+  }
+}
+@keyframes topology-router-icon-shake {
+  0%, 100% { transform: rotate(0deg) scale(1); filter: drop-shadow(0 0 2px #fde047); }
+  25% { transform: rotate(-5deg) scale(1.08); filter: drop-shadow(0 0 6px #facc15); }
+  75% { transform: rotate(5deg) scale(1.08); filter: drop-shadow(0 0 6px #22d3ee); }
+}
+@keyframes topology-router-label-flicker {
+  0%, 100% { text-shadow: 0 0 6px #fde047, 0 0 12px #22d3ee; }
+  50% { text-shadow: 0 0 10px #fff, 0 0 18px #facc15; }
+}
+@keyframes topology-edge-dash {
+  to { stroke-dashoffset: -36; }
+}
+@keyframes topology-edge-flicker {
+  0%, 100% { opacity: 0.85; }
+  40% { opacity: 1; }
+  55% { opacity: 0.55; }
+  70% { opacity: 1; }
+}
+.topology-router-core {
+  animation: topology-router-pulse 0.75s ease-in-out infinite;
+  border-color: #fde047 !important;
+}
+.topology-router-icon {
+  animation: topology-router-icon-shake 0.45s ease-in-out infinite;
+}
+.topology-router-label {
+  animation: topology-router-label-flicker 0.7s ease-in-out infinite;
+}
+.topology-router-badge {
+  box-shadow: 0 0 10px #fde047, 0 0 16px rgba(34, 211, 238, 0.6);
+}
+.topology-edge-kame {
+  stroke-dasharray: 8 6;
+  animation: topology-edge-dash 0.22s linear infinite;
+}
+.topology-edge-halo {
+  animation: topology-edge-flicker 0.18s steps(2) infinite;
+}
+.topology-edge-plasma {
+  stroke-dasharray: 14 10;
+  animation: topology-edge-dash 0.18s linear infinite, topology-edge-flicker 0.22s steps(3) infinite;
+}
+
 /* React Flow controls: match app theme */
 .react-flow-controls-custom {
   background: var(--color-surface);