“Why isn’t it working?” a young scribe shouted, flustered, as a protective ward around the Civic Annex shimmered and then dimmed.

“It’s not broken,” Nessa Vale said calmly, stepping forward. “It’s listening. You have to show it what you want, not demand it.”

“But we’ve always followed the runes!” the scribe insisted. “It obeys authority!”

“Authority is gone,” Nessa replied, her voice steady. “You’re going to have to think for yourself now.”

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