His desk was a fortress of yellowed proof sheets and half-empty coffee cups. Outside, the world had moved to "The Feed"—an endless stream of unverified noise, algorithmic snippets, and digital static. But inside Elias’s office, facts still had to breathe.
"He’s stealing from the public schools, Elias! I should be shouting!"
"There is no room for soul in a post-mortem," Elias replied. "Only the cause of death."
"You’re shouting," Elias said, his voice like dry parchment.
