A VOICE WITHOUT A NAME
Mercer sat perfectly still, genuine shock mixing with careful attention. "Who are you."
*I don't have a name the way you understand it,* the voice said, its tone carrying genuine urgency beneath its evident fear. *I was created, like the voice that once guided you, to observe a single recipient. Vance's recipient, specifically. I've watched him for eight years now, and I can't bear it any longer.*
"You're his version of the Ledger," Mercer said slowly, understanding crystallizing. "His guide."
*His guide, yes, though he abandoned my guidance years ago, once he discovered how to manipulate the system's boundaries directly.* The voice carried something close to grief. *I tried to stop him. I tried everything within my limited capacity. He found a way to silence mos
