The Veil didn't respond immediately.
His violet eyes on Grim. On the active Soul Prison. On the slowed but not stopped symbol.
On the complete equation.
The senior Herald repeated what he had said.
This time the Veil responded.
With a gesture — his right hand raised, stopping the Herald.
Then the Veil looked at his own hands.
What he was about to do, the Heralds had never allowed him.
The limit of control they had taught him existed for two reasons — to protect the environment from Full Release's energy, and to protect the bearer from the subsequent collapse.
The Heralds had explained both reasons.
What they hadn't explained — and what the Veil had understood on his own, in the years of nameless nights on Level Four — was that the limit also protected them.
A bearer with Full Release active did not follow instructions.
It obeyed the Fragment.
And Fragment 4 had no loyalty to the Heralds.
The Veil had always known it.
He simply hadn't had a reason to use it.
Until now.
