The Ember (now the World Tree) waited. It wanted to see if life would arise naturally, without the corruption of Noax's soul.
But the ash beneath the tree was not empty. It contained the Dust of Kuro (The Gravedigger).
Kuro had accepted Decay. He had died in peace. But dust remembers.
A wind blew through the clockwork world. The dust swirled. It formed shapes. It mimicked the old world. Dust-rabbits hopped in the fields. Dust-birds flew in the sky.
And finally, Dust-Humans stood up. They were pale and silent. They did not have souls. They were hollow shells acting out the memories of the dead.
The World Tree watched them. "They are puppets," the Tree realized. "They have no Hope."
The Tree felt pity. And Pity is a dangerous emotion.