The footsteps remain still beyond the doorway. Beneath Sil’Thalis’s sleeve, the severed clasp cools from its flare, while a fading violet trace divides contact from command.
Bren
The flare followed destruction, not obedience. I will compare that sequence against the cord’s placement, tightening, and response to your command.
Bren opens her vellum without writing, holding the earlier entries beside the broken clasp. Her eyes move between the scorch, the vanished branch, and the untouched doorway.
Bren
It documented contact, refusal, and changes in the room’s obedience. It did not establish who ordered the delay, nor prove that House Domini heard us.
A voice speaks from the gallery, muffled by the open door. The bronze bell answers once, and the waiting footsteps shift closer without crossing the threshold.
the head inquisitor
Inquisitor Sil’Thalis, present yourself. The guarded audience is prepared, and further delay is now an order.
Bren
That command is external and audible. I can record its existence, but not claim the cord transmitted anything before it failed.