Stewardship did not announce its breaking points.
It revealed them slowly, through stress that felt survivable, until it wasn't.
In the weeks following the stabilization corridor decision, the architecture continued to function with measured resilience. Metrics held. Participation remained high. The public discourse, though sharp, settled into something resembling wary acceptance. On the surface, the system had absorbed the shock.
Underneath, something else was forming.
Aria saw it first not in the data, but in behavior.
Nodes that had once engaged expansively now responded minimally. Institutions complied, but no longer volunteered insight beyond requirement. Transparency remained intact, yet enthusiasm thinned. The architecture still worked, but the spirit animating it had shifted.
"This isn't resistance," Aria said during a closed review with Dante and Victor. "It's retreat."
Victor frowned. "Participation hasn't dropped."
