The first ban was quiet.
No announcement.
No proclamation.
Just a sealed notice on a guild board:
> "Distribution of unauthorized stability literature is prohibited."
Ace stared at it.
"…Ah," he said.
"There it is."
Ravenna frowned.
"They're banning the manual."
Ace shook his head.
"No. They're banning questions."
---
The Second Ban
Workshops were audited.
Libraries flagged.
Terms like redundancy, load-bearing, failure modes quietly removed from public curricula.
Seris clenched her fists.
"They're pretending the language doesn't exist."
Ace nodded.
"That's how you erase ideas without looking violent."
---
The Third Move
A new title spread.
Certified Architect.
Licensing.
Fees.
Exclusive authority to "advise on stability."
Ace's whiskers twitched.
"…They're monetizing it."
Ravenna crossed her arms.
"And centralizing it."
Seris laughed bitterly.
"I did all that. That's how it starts."
---
The Trap
An invitation arrived.
Official.
Heavy paper.
A seal from the Council of Seven Kingdoms.
> "Attend a summit on Responsible Stability Governance."
Ace read it twice.
"They want to legitimize us," Ravenna said slowly.
Ace shook his head.
"They want to trap us."
Seris nodded.
"If you refuse, you're radicals."
"If you attend, you're endorsing them."
Silence fell.
---
Ace's Limit
Ace sat quietly.
Then said—
"I won't go."
Ravenna looked up.
"But—"
"I won't fight their narrative," Ace continued.
"And I won't legitimize it."
He met Seris's eyes.
"I'll disappear."
Ravenna froze.
"…What?"
Ace exhaled.
"They can't monopolize something that doesn't have a face."
---
The Argument
"That's running," Ravenna said sharply.
"No," Ace replied gently.
"It's load shedding."
Seris frowned.
"You're the symbol."
Ace shook his head.
"I was never supposed to be."
He pointed at the workshop.
"This only works if I'm replaceable."
---
The Decision
That night—
Ace packed nothing.
Because there was nothing essential.
Ravenna hovered in the doorway.
"…Will you come back?"
Ace looked at her.
"When you don't need me."
She swallowed.
"…That's not fair."
Ace smiled softly.
"It's necessary."
---
End Beat
By morning—
The workshop was open.
The board unchanged.
Ace was gone.
Across the kingdoms—
Rumors spread.
The Architect vanished.
The manual remained.
Questions lingered.
And everywhere—
People argued.
Helped.
Adapted.
Without waiting for permission.
Somewhere—
Ace walked under unfamiliar stars.
Not fleeing.
Distributing himself.
Because the most dangerous thing he could do now—
was stop being special.