Kaelen’s silence was a disruption.
The Stone-Speakers, accustomed to his booming voice and unwavering pronouncements, saw it as a sign of weakness, of a man who had lost his faith.
The Questioners, however, saw something else entirely.
They saw a man who was finally learning to listen, to truly hear the world around him.
They saw a man on the cusp of a profound transformation, and they watched with bated breath to see what he would become.