Chapter 103

Aria's POV

Beth presented the institute proposal formally in December.

Not to the full coordinator network — not yet. To a smaller group first: myself, Corinna, Gorvan via written contribution since travel was difficult in winter, and Aldric, who she'd asked specifically and who had arrived with a fresh journal and the expression of someone expecting to use it.

She'd titled the document simply: *A Practitioner Institute: Proposal for Development.* Seventeen pages. The forty pages of thinking had been distilled into seventeen pages of argument, which was the right ratio — more than twice the thinking for half the words.

She presented it standing, which she rarely did....