Ren's presence was destroying the world. The humans were dying.
In the Valley of Echoes, a man named Guan watched his village crumble to dust because Ren had walked too close.
Guan was weak. He had no Iron Skin. He had no Wind Legs. But he had Silence.
Guan realized that Ren was drawn to Life. And Life is loud. The heartbeat, the breath, the scream—these are the sounds of time flowing.
"If I am silent," Guan thought, "The Ancestor cannot find me."
Guan took a needle made of bone. He sewed his own lips shut. He punctured his own eardrums. He stopped his own thoughts.
He bound the Aspect of Silence.
He became invisible to the world. He walked up to Ren. Ren did not react, for Guan existed in a void where time did not matter.
Guan stood in Ren's shadow. He did not die, for Silence has no age.