Chapter 135: The Strategic Echo
The flower with the grey heart bloomed for a full cycle of the moon before its crystalline petals dissolved into the soil, leaving only the smooth, dark sphere behind. It was collected with reverence by the Guild and placed in the Chamber of Newness under a plaque that read: "Potential. Unbloomed." The philosophical debates about the Silence continued in academic circles, but for most of the network, life returned to its vibrant, exploratory rhythm. The Empire's scholars published thoughtful Linua treatises on "The Ethics of Potential," and trade flowed smoothly along the schematic-mapped routes.
