Absolute silence filled the underground archive.
The Watcher’s final statement lingered in the air:
“The Promise was made to protect the person who started the fire.”
Harriet immediately challenged him. “That contradicts everything we’ve uncovered.”
The Watcher calmly shook his head. “No. It explains it.”
For weeks, every piece of evidence had pointed toward protecting the unnamed child. The Watcher told them they had confused the purpose of the Promise with the result of the Promise. The child was saved because of the Promise. She was never the reason it existed. That distinction changed everything.
Harriet realized they had reached the final layer of the mystery. Not who was protected. But why anyone needed protection in the first place.
The Watcher looked at Harriet. “You’ve hear
