He reduced himself further—not diminishing awareness, but dispersing it. The kind of presence that could not be triangulated. If systems sensed correction as an expectation, they would stop generating it internally.
That was failure by comfort.
The anticipation faded, not entirely, but enough to lose coherence. Whatever had been adjusting for him recalibrated back toward uncertainty. Good. Uncertainty kept choices honest.
Asher let the suspension deepen again.
The convergence continued its slow, uneven progression. The coalition strained under interpretation rather than opposition. Arguments formed that were not yet conflicts. Positions hardened just enough to be seen. The treaties remained intact, but meaning leaked from their seams.
That leakage mattered more than any breach.
