The Augurs’ Response

The First Augurs convened in the shadow of the Loom, the elder’s words still echoing in the chamber. A rift had formed among them. Some argued for a direct rebuttal, a show of faith in the machine that had guided them. Others, unsettled by the truth in the elder’s critique, urged for quiet contemplation. In the end, they did what they always did when faced with uncertainty: they turned to the Loom. They posed their question not in words, but in a shared memory of the elder’s defiance. The Loom’s reply was not a comfort, but a new, chilling prophecy woven in threads of discordant light: ‘When the foundation is questioned, the walls will fall.’