Another pillar flared. The text rearranged itself.
[ SPEAK ONLY WHAT YOUR SOUL CAN CARRY.
A LIE IS MOTION WITHOUT ROOT.
WHEN FALSEHOOD OUTWEIGHS TRUTH,
THE TONGUE SHALL FALL SILENT. ]
As if to demonstrate, not far away two practitioners were arguing.
One, shaking his head, said, "It's not that bad—this place isn't dangerous if we stay calm."
Lucien who could feel the oppressive weight in the air knew that was at least half a lie.
The Court agreed.
The star directly above the man dimmed to ash-grey.
A spiderweb of cracks splintered from his feet, racing outward across the mirror as if someone had dropped reality and it shattered.
He reached for his own throat—
And froze.
Not slowly. Not gently.
One instant he was moving. The next, his motions were carved out of existence.
His body remained upright but the idea of motion had been deleted from him.
Marie's voice dropped to a terrified whisper.
"If we lie, we get… turned off?"
Eirene nodded grimly.
