**EDITORIAL REVIEW: Chapter 8**
**Editor:** Cora, Continuity & Accuracy Editor

### 1. STRENGTHS TO PRESERVE
*   **Mira’s Tactile Voice Signature:** The chapter consistently leverages Mira's physical interaction with the world to process information. Examples: "Her fingers hovering an inch above the cold linen sheet," and "she touched things to understand them... her hand finding the sapphire catalyst."
*   **Dorian’s Understatement Scale:** Dorian’s reaction to a high-ranking official's death as "suboptimal" (Line 24) perfectly aligns with the established scale for a "serious problem." His transition to "the circumstances are not auspicious" or similar formalisms as the stakes rise reinforces his established profile.
*   **Mirrored Emotional Cues:** The use of "past and rot" (Line 42) to describe the Imperial magic is a vital continuity link to Chapter 1's established mystery.
*   **Voice Differentiation:**
    *   **Mira:** YES. Her use of "Stars' sake" and sarcasm-inverted "obviously" (Line 16) makes her unmistakable.
    *   **Dorian:** YES. His reliance on "The evidence suggests" and "It is probable that" (Line 72) maintains his "Absolute Zero" logic.

### 2. MUST-FIX — CONTINUITY
*   **Kaelen’s Status Contradiction:**
    *   **The Error:** Chapter 8 opens with Kaelen dead on a morgue slab, killed by a "thermal pocket" (Lines 7-12).
    *   **The Conflict:** The **[character-state] for Ch-08** explicitly lists Kaelen as: "Location: Pyre Academy, Command Center... Physical: Uninjured... Emotional: Terrified and ready for war; mobilizing the student vanguard." It also notes he "Owes Mira a distraction at the border (Ch08) -- UNPAID."
    *   **Correction:** Kaelen cannot be dead in the morgue if he is currently mobilizing the vanguard for a distraction. The "deceased proctor" should be an unnamed senior staff member or a different secondary character to preserve Kaelen’s role in the upcoming "Binary Star" deployment (established in Ch-05).
*   **Dorian’s Secret Contradiction:**
    *   **The Error:** At the end of the chapter, Dorian confesses he knew the tether was permanent two days before the ceremony (Lines 163-170).
    *   **The Conflict:** The **[character-state] for Ch-08** lists as a "Known Secret" that Dorian *recently* "Realized the 'Founders' Binding' was designed to kill the Chancellors once the Starfall was stabilized."
    *   **Correction:** Dorian’s confession should center on the discovery that the Union would be *lethal* upon completion (the "kill switch"), rather than just a permanent "listening post." This aligns with the "Founders' Binding" lore established in the notes.
*   **Lyra’s Location:**
    *   **The Error:** The chapter implies Mira and Dorian are alone in the archives.
    *   **The Conflict:** The **[character-state] for Ch-08** places Lyra at the "Crystalline Spire, High Archives" frantically erasing research.
    *   **Correction:** Ensure Mira and Dorian’s break-in to the *Ministry* wing doesn't overlap with Lyra’s established location in the *Spire* archives, or acknowledge her presence/work in the background.

### 3. MUST-FIX — CLARITY
*   **The Ending Loop:**
    *   **The Passage:** Lines 188-193 essentially repeat the dialogue and prose from Lines 183-187 almost verbatim. ("I knew," Dorian said. The words fell into the archive's silence...)
    *   **The Fix:** Delete the redundant paragraph (Lines 188-193). The chapter should end on the raw emotional impact of the first revelation and Dorian's "monstrous affection."

### 4. OPTIONAL SUGGESTIONS
*   **The "Scorched Cuff" (Optional):** Line 73 mentions Dorian's "permanent scorch mark" on his cuff. It would be a strong continuity touch to explicitly attribute this to the "arena disaster" mentioned later in the chapter, reinforcing the timeline of their growing proximity.

### 5. FORBIDDEN CHANGES / NON-GOALS
*   **Mira’s Lack of Apology:** Do not "soften" Mira’s reaction to the betrayal. Her profile states she "Never apologizes directly" and "fixes things instead." Her rage here is a character-accurate requirement.
*   **Dorian’s Formalism:** Do not make Dorian sound "more emotional" during the argument. Per his profile, "When he’s angry he gets MORE formal, not less." His use of "The logic was sound" (Line 175) is the correct expression of his distress.

### 6. VERDICT
**REVISE**
The contradiction regarding Kaelen’s death is a **Major Flag**. Kaelen is required for the "Union resistance" arc (40% complete) and the "Binary Star" deployment. Killing him here creates a massive timeline rupture. Additionally, the redundant ending text requires a technical fix.