The sphere shared memory.
The First Architects had maintained ternary harmony across the cosmos for epochs.
Infinity flowed.
Zero grounded.
Equilibrium emerged naturally.
Then younger civilizations began seeking control.
They attempted forced stability.
Imposed order.
Over-division.
The Hunger appeared — not as enemy, but imbalance magnified.
Rather than dominate or erase, the First Architects withdrew.
They allowed evolution to proceed unassisted.
To see if anyone would rediscover harmony without guidance.
Kaito absorbed the weight of it.
"We weren't abandoned," he realized.
"We were being tested."
The sphere pulsed softly.
Not tested.
Allowed.