The next morning, Ferra carried the witness plate into the guild archive, then marked the basin as controlled ground instead of a place for arguments.
Hajin returned with the Watcher, Loccy, Juna, plus Vella, while Marrick supervised contracts and kept the board clear of royal language.
Hajin watched the empty road and thought, 'The guild can run without me for one morning,' pressing his thumb against the old map, 'so this test can measure my choices.'
Aria stood beside Ferra's table with three ledgers open, her pale light crossing each page whenever a pressure mark changed.
Aria tapped the first ledger and said, "The first test measured reception, while this one measures duration, recovery, strain, and when six rings become a decision."
Hajin looked toward the Watcher and replied, "Press until the test reaches that decision, but stop before the basin becomes a weapon against the town."
