Power never counters what it doesn't understand.
It counters what it recognizes.
The morning arrived quieter than it should have been. Not calm—intentional. The kind of silence that isn't absence, but preparation. The canopy remained dim. The observers stayed back. Even the facilitators held distance, as if the city were a patient being watched for symptoms.
Arjun noticed the restraint."They're letting it run," he said."Too freely."
"Yes," I replied."They're tracing the outline."
✦
The city didn't rush.
That was new.
Competence had matured overnight into confidence. People didn't scramble to fill gaps. They anticipated them. Supplies were redistributed before shortages formed. Routes were adjusted before congestion appeared.
No one asked who decided.
Decisions simply happened.
The other Ishaan aligned, voice precise.
This is what power studies, he said.Not the noise—but the shape.
✦
Shapes are dangerous because they can be copied.
✦
