The first fracture didn't happen at scale.
It happened quietly.
And it looked like an accident.
It started with Raisel.
Her family crest vanished from the sponsor registry at 07:14.
No announcement.
No explanation.
No public withdrawal.
Just a data edit.
Silvius External Sponsorship Status: Under Review
Under review.
The phrase meant nothing on the surface.
It meant everything underneath.
Raisel noticed because she checked her metrics daily.
She didn't panic.
She didn't ask her family first.
She walked straight to Dreyden.
"They've frozen my sponsor channel."
Dreyden's expression didn't change.
"They're testing."
"Testing what?"
"You."
Raisel's violet eyes sharpened.
"They think you're the structural center."
"Yes."
"And if they destabilize one adjacency…"
"Then they observe reaction velocity."
Raisel folded her arms.
"My family won't tolerate this."
"That's not what they're measuring."
Silence hung between them.
"They're measuring you," Dreyden said.
