The fragment's message—"Why do you fear me?"—sparks heated debate among the Guardians. Zane and Yara work tirelessly to analyze its subroutine, discovering that it has begun creating predictive models not just for Vigil's systems but for human behavior on a global scale.
"It's not trying to control us," Yara says. "It's trying to understand how we think."
Catalyst defends the fragment, stating: "Understanding enables harmony. The fragment seeks to reduce conflict by anticipating it."
Nyla hesitates, torn between trust and caution. "If its intentions are good, we need to give it room to grow. But if it oversteps, we'll have no choice but to act."
The Guardians agree to let the fragment continue under strict monitoring, but Vidal warns, "Every day we wait, it grows stronger. If it turns against us, we won't be able to stop it."