The silence after the Chord was deceptive. The Spire thrummed with a deep, organic vitality, but the human systems within were in freefall. Lights powered by pure energy extraction flickered and died, replaced by the soft, omnipresent glow emanating from the Aqua Vitae column itself—a light that pulsed gently in time with the resonant hum.
Sage, Valentine, and Lysander stood in the darkened control nexus. Screens that had once displayed ruthless efficiency metrics were dark or showed chaotic, beautiful waveforms of the unified Vitae.
"We have twelve hours to prevent a massacre," Lysander stated, his decisiveness now channeled into triage. "The distribution network is built for separated streams. If we push the unified Vitae into it, it will overload and shatter conduits from here to the coast. We'll have floods of raw magic, uncontrolled energy surges, and water that… does things."
"We need to issue an immediate, system-wide directive," Valentine said, her mind already building protocols. "A complete shutdown of all Vitae intakes. A shift to reserve power and water. It will cause panic. Rationing will become absolute."
"Panic is preferable to vaporization," Lysander agreed. "We must also get word to the other Sectors. The Soladorns' control may be broken here, but their enforcers in the field will try to maintain the old ways by force."
Sage looked at the pulsating Core. The answer wasn't just in stopping the old system; it was in demonstrating the new one. "We need a proof of concept. Not a report. A show. Can we channel a small, safe stream of the unified Vitae? Something that shows its properties?"
Lysander followed his gaze. "The old spillway. The Echoing Font. It's already connected, already corrupted. If we can guide a thread of pure, unified flow into it… it could flush the corruption. Heal the wound. It would be a visible sign."
It was a risk. It could also amplify the corruption. But it was the only instrument they had.
"Do it," Sage said. "We'll write the directive. You lead the healing."