The chamber lights dimmed earlier than usual.
Ember was already awake.
She hadn’t slept much.
The silence had become companionable.
Predictable.
Predictability felt safe.
The facilitator entered — but he wasn’t alone this time.
Another figure followed.
Shorter. Sharp-eyed. Female.
Her presence was cool, clinical.
She carried a thin crystalline slate.
“Observation phase,” the facilitator said calmly.
Ember stood.
Her posture had changed over the past days.
Straighter.
Contained.
“What are we observing?” she asked.
“External developments.”
Her stomach tightened.
The crystalline slate activated.
The wall shimmered.
A projection formed.
Bloodstone territory.
Clearer than before.
Closer.
No distortion.
Crystal stood in the courtyard.
Bree’s presence faintly visible in
