"You may speak. But never assume you're alone."
The update came subtly — not with fanfare, but a pulse.
Each seal user received a new function:
A "voice of thought" — not speech, but written flashes of consciousness translated by the Network.
The feature was called: Chatstream.
It had no names.
No faces.
Just IDs.
[Fisher-09]: "Who else saw that new bread-softening trick? Worked like a charm."
[GrainHand-12]: "Who are you people?"
[Echo]: "We are many. We are none. Share or stay quiet."
Paranoia simmered.
No one knew how many users existed.
No one even knew Sōgen's ID.
He never posted.
He only watched.
---
But the system worked.
One user uploaded a map of river currents using memory recall + basic math.
Another asked for quick-fix splints for minor injuries.
Knowledge flowed like blood through neural tissue.
Some started calling it the "Whisperfield."
Others?
The "Candlebrain."
Sōgen kept his real name out of all of it.
The seals were slowly forming a nervous system.
And no one knew who the brain was.
---