Page 158 - DivineSparkRising II-TheMirrorofSilenceFinal

Divine Spark Rising
a finger to the girl’s forehead, and told her to
breathe. No network multiplied that, and the room
warmed.
From above, Sofia’s voice spoke as if through
rafters.
“Choose the life with fewer words,” she said. “It
will hurt less.”
Henry wanted to argue. He felt the old muscle
engage. He remembered the cracked mug and the
boy and Serpa’s line: Live it first. Name it last.
He put his hands in his pockets and turned
away from the table.
The page tried to follow him. It couldn’t. He
hadn’t given it permission.
3. The Curator’s Corridor
They moved on. The next hall narrowed to the
width of a decision. Mirrors on either side reflected
not faces but syntax. Words hovered where eyes
should be — IF, THEN, ELSE, ALWAYS, NEVER —
the grammar of machines and tyrants.
At the center, a small pedestal held a bell made
of glass. A plaque read: RING FOR REST.
Carolina frowned. “It’s a trap,” she said,
forgetting and remembering again not to speak.
She took Sera’s hand and placed it over the bell
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