The world was splintering.

Not violently. But loudly.

Universities canceled Vault-integrated curriculums.

Dozens of Vault contributors resigned.

#EchoExile trended globally. People protested, claiming that releasing Mary’s project was a violation of moral safety — a betrayal of their faith in Phoenix. Others praised Sophie for her transparency, even while admitting discomfort.

In Barcelona, a civic protester wore a sign that read:

“She burned the lie. Now they fear the ash.”

It began in Prague.

A group of Vault interns walked out of their orientation meeting and refused to return unless Phoenix paused all updates to Vault 2.0 until further ethical review.

Within a day, Vault outposts in Toronto, Cape Town,...