The silence that settled over The Wellspring after the scout's departure was not the quiet of peace. It was the silence of a breath held before a scream. The name hung in the air, a poison: *The Silent Compact*. It was no longer an abstract fear. It was an organization. It had agents. It had technology that could twist a human being into a puppet. The enemy had a face, half-metal and full of nightmare.
In the council granary, the mood was one of controlled panic. Grigg's face was ashen. "They know we're here. They've seen the Spire, the valley, our numbers. That thing was a scout. The main force will follow."
"We are not defenseless," Kaelen said, though his knuckles were white where he gripped the table. "Our resonance is a power they clearly fear. They call it 'anomalous.' 'Corruption.' They want to silence it. That means we can fight it."
