Silence is a strategy.
It only works when people still believe it will protect them.
⸻
The Ministry waits until morning.
That is how Jason knows they are afraid.
If they were confident, they would have moved at night, when fear bends easier. Morning means optics. Morning means witnesses. Morning means they still care what this looks like.
“They’re hesitating,” Jason says, watching the stalled indicators pulse on his map. “Everything’s queued, but nothing’s executing.”
Zane stands at the gate, the heir nestled against his chest, awake and quiet, eyes tracking the slow movement of people beyond the walls.
“They expected the blackout to scatter everyone,” Zane replies. “Instead, people stayed.”
Jason exhales.
“And now silence isn’t working.”
⸻
The first failure of silence happens
