Amidst the roar of engines preparing for the "Solomon Protocol," Anne and Harold met Silas in one of the remaining isolation cells of the Tower. Caine stood in the corner, busy dissecting an ancient copy of The Lesser Key of Solomon that had been secured from the central church's secret library.
"Something isn't right," Caine muttered, his fingers pointing to lines of text written in fading gold ink. "The Church's prophecy has always been very specific. They stated that 'The pure voice of an untainted descendant' would serve as the vessel for the 72 frequencies. Until now, every finger pointed toward Rainnes."
Harold frowned. "Rainnes has pure resonance. She can hear them without shattering. By the Church's logic, she is the perfect candidate to be the vessel."
The Forbidden Manuscript: A Two-Sided Prophecy
Caine projected the ancient text. It turned out that the Lesser Key manuscript contained a footnote that had been hidden by the church's high officials for centuries:
"There shall come a time when the vessel is not she who contains, but she who attracts. The first vessel is silence, but the second vessel is thunder. Silence invites them in, but thunder forces them to submit."
"Which means," Anne concluded in a cold voice, "Rainnes was indeed designed by the Church to be the entry point. She is a passive vessel. But because I disrupted their system with Isfellan technology, the frequency has shifted."
Analysis: Why Anne is Now the Vessel
Active vs. Passive Resonance: Rainnes is a highly sensitive antenna; she can receive signals. However, Anne, with the silver circuits inherited from her mother and the integration of steam engine energy, has become a transmitter. The Lesser Key entities are no longer looking for an open door—they are attracted to the largest energy source that most closely mirrors their own frequency—Anne.
The Iron Catalyst: Anne's body has adapted to the iron particles from Isfellan. Iron is the natural enemy of pure magic, but for entities of the lower dimension, iron is the most stable anchor for manifesting in the physical world.
Bloodline Anomaly: Silas coughed, then stared at Anne with a look of horror. "The Church misjudged your mother. They thought she was a guardian. In reality, your mother was a failed vessel because she refused to 'sing.' You, Anne... you did not refuse. You challenged them with the sound of your machines."
"So," Harold gripped the hilt of his sword, "the Church intentionally let Rainnes be the target so they could control the entities through her. But now, they're panicking because the vessel has fallen into the hands of someone they cannot control."
"Exactly," Anne said. She walked toward the map of Aethelgard. "The Church will soon declare me a 'Heretic Witch' because I stole the role that was supposed to belong to Rainnes. They would rather see Rainnes destroyed as a martyr than see me lead with this power."
Caine closed the book with a heavy thud. "Then we must accelerate the Solomon Protocol. If these entities continue to be drawn to Anne, then Anne is no longer just the leader of Isfellan. She is a walking bait for seventy-two starving demons."
Anne turned, her eyes flashing gold under the steam lamps. "Let them come. The Church wants a martyr, but I will give them a ruler."