POV: Zane

The end does not arrive as a single stroke.

It arrives as a sequence of closures that finally outrun the network’s ability to replace what it loses.

I am in the mobile overlay when the last major node goes dark—the communications pocket the stronghold records tied to the leader’s direct continuity. Coastal desks confirm the exchange routes are sealed under the regional authorization. Northern teams report the remaining mid-tier relay sites in unsigned country are either empty or under formal hold. The open files from the stronghold shelves are now active recovery cases rather than historical proof. The structure that survived on separation and patience is running out...