Kaelen Vis watched Liam speak from the far edge of the summit floor. Unlike the others, he wore no synth-weave suit, no flashy augment lenses. Just a linen coat, old-world and quietly defiant.
Veyra Guild had long been a protector of analogue traditions: hand-drawn comics, acoustic-only recordings, narrative radio plays. In a world drunk on AR and AI immersion, they were the keepers of "imperfection."
But Kaelen didn't hate technology—he hated ownership.
Liam's pitch was risky. Giving Elaron its own node meant power. But power corrupts. Always.
As the audience erupted in support, Kaelen narrowed his eyes. You say you're different, Liam. Not Kara, not Everline. But empires—creative or not—always come with a price.
Still, he couldn't deny the resonance. The people were hungry. Indie Web was a spark, and his people were ready to burn.
Later that night, Kaelen stood before his guild elders and said the words that would change everything:
"Prepare the Artisan Alliance. We join them… but on our terms."
The End of POV