The assembly began on time today.
Elias stood near the rear with the other staff, hands folded, eyes forward. He had not been scheduled to attend. This assembly was for the high nobles only. He had come because the prince would be present and so should he. And that made him responsible by proximity if not by order.
The ivy Elias primed was hung above the central dais in a sweeping lattice, trailed along silver supports. Decorative. Restrained. It looked healthy enough at a distance.
Too healthy.
He scanned it without touching. Counted nodes. Leaf spacing. Light response.
Something in the growth pattern felt… odd.
The Headmage began speaking. Words Elias did not hear. His attention remained on the plant.
The guiding runes were unfamiliar.
Not wrong. Just not his writing.
They were streamlined and adjusted to compensate for recorded stress variance.
His stress variance.
His data.
A quiet understanding settled in his chest.
The assembly progressed.
