The creature that descended from the rafters was a tragic sight. It had once been human, but now it was a grotesque fusion of splintered wood, torn silk, and weeping ectoplasm. It was a Parçalanmış—a Shattered One. A Sealbearer who had lost control during their Ahenk Ritual and become a monster of their own broken concept.
"Path of Bonds," Borin's voice crackled through the small communication device in Ronan's ear. "A failed ritual. It's drawn to the silk because it was a gift for someone it lost. It's not stealing the material; it's trying to reclaim a memory."
The Shattered One lashed out, not with anger, but with a wave of pure sorrow. The psychic impact was staggering, making them all stumble as feelings of loss and loneliness washed over them.
"Contain it!" Borin ordered.
Greta moved first. She slammed her hands together, and a shimmering barrier of pure will—her [Embodiment] of the Banner—materialized in front of the creature, stopping its advance.
The creature wailed, hammering at the barrier with appendages of splintered crate wood.
"Isolde, now!"
Isolde stepped forward, her expression serene. She didn't attack. She simply projected her own concept of stillness, of peace. Her [Echo] of Silence wasn't about negating sound, but about pacifying turmoil. The creature's frantic movements began to slow, its wails softening into whimpers.
Liam watched, his heart aching. He saw in this creature a twisted reflection of his own obsession. A being trapped by a single, agonizing moment in the past. He could feel its pain as a constant temporal echo.
"It's not going to stop," Cain observed, his voice flat. "It's an echo. It will just repeat this forever."
"Then we give it a final peace," Borin's voice said, his tone grim. He appeared at the warehouse entrance, a heavy, clockwork device in his hands. It was a conceptual neutralizer, designed to safely disperse the energy of a Shattered One.
The victory felt hollow. They had fulfilled the contract, but they had also destroyed a soul that was already lost. As they left the now truly silent warehouse, Borin placed a heavy hand on Liam's shoulder.
"You did well, recruit," he said. It was the highest praise Liam had ever heard from him. "You all did."
They had passed the test. They had earned a measure of trust.