Ace did not announce the project.
He didn't warn anyone.
That alone frightened Ravenna.
The Intention
"This one won't last," Ace said, laying out the materials.
Rusted nails.
A cracked mirror.
Ash from burned decrees.
The apprentice watched silently.
"You're making a legendary item," she said.
"And planning to destroy it."
Ace nodded.
"Or let it destroy itself."
The Craft
Ace assembled the mirror first.
Not to reflect faces—
But pauses.
Moments where someone almost spoke and didn't.
The nails were bent into a frame.
Uneven.
Ugly.
The ash was mixed into resin.
The magic resisted violently.
The forge screamed.
The Bell rang three times.
Ravenna backed away.
"Ace—"
"Almost," he whispered.
Item Created: The Reliquary of Borrowed Authority
Amplifies power taken without consent
Grows heavier the more it is relied upon
Shatters when used as final justification
Leaves behind only records, not residue
Silence fell.
The mirror showed nothing.
Until—
A faint outline appeared.
A council chamber.
The Release
Ace didn't keep it.
Didn't hide it.
He placed it in the river.
Floating.
Drifting.
Unclaimed.
"Someone will pick it up," the apprentice said.
Ace nodded.
"That's the point."
The First Holder
Three days later—
A regional governor found it.
The mirror grew warm.
Decisions felt easier.
Orders flowed.
Then—
He tried to end a debate by pointing to it.
The reliquary cracked.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
Shattered.
Leaving only documents.
Meeting notes.
Signatures.
Proof.
The Shockwave
The records spread faster than rumors.
No denials held.
No authority remained abstract.
Names stayed attached.
The council panicked.
They issued confiscation orders.
Too late.
The idea was portable.
End Beat
That night—
Ace cleaned the forge.
The apprentice asked softly,
"Was that responsible?"
Ace paused.
"…It was reversible."
She nodded slowly.
Ravenna smiled tiredly.
Outside—
The Bell did not ring.
For once—
The silence meant something had ended.