### 1. PROSE EVIDENCE

*   **Early:** "The 440Hz vibration bloomed in Lena's vision like a bruise of blue fire, her blood threading the Siphon's gears as the salt water hissed up from the junction below."
    *   *Commentary: This effectively establishes the sensory synesthesia mentioned in the character state while grounding the magic in a visceral, tactile cost.*
*   **Mid:** "She reached deep. She didn't reach for the machine; she reached through it. She imagined the Siphon as a massive, iron-plated cypress tree."
    *   *Commentary: This successfully bridges the gap between Lena's "Swamp Witch" identity and the industrial setting, showing her "tuning" her magic as required by her arc.*
*   **Late:** "Suddenly, vines began to erupt. They weren't real plants, but manifestations of the Harmonic Bleed, hijacked by her blood-oath and forced into the shape of her heritage."
    *   *Commentary: This clarifies the "Harmonic Bleed" world rule, showing the boundary between machine and magic thinning into a tangible visual.*

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### 2. CHARACTER VOICE AUDIT

**Lena Duval**
*   **Line:** "By the bayous's bones, you're a hungry one."
*   **Signature Vocabulary/Tics (YES):** Uses the exact phrase "by the bayou's bones" which is her signature for being furious/stressed.
*   **Avoid Forbidden Patterns (YES):** She does not apologize or say "I give up."
*   **Emotional Register (YES/REVISE):** At 70% arc, she is "tuning" her magic. However, the profile states she repeats words when panicked.
    *   *Violation:* "No no, not yet, no no" and "No no, too much, no no" are used correctly, but "By the bayous's bones" contains a possessive typo ("bayous's") not in the signature.

**Jax Harlan**
*   **Line:** "Lena, talk to me! ... The pressure’s redlining! If we don’t dump the bleed now, this whole sector’s going to melt!"
*   **Signature Vocabulary/Tics (YES):** Uses technical/tactical language ("redlining," "sector," "dump the bleed") consistent with his background.
*   **Avoid Forbidden Patterns (YES):** He has abandoned tactical protocol for instinct, as shown by him kicking the drone and relying on Lena.
*   **Emotional Register (YES):** He shows "absolute deference" and protective instinct.

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### 3. STRENGTHS TO PRESERVE

*   **Synesthetic Imagery:** The description of the frequency as "ultraviolet light that thrummed against her retinas" (early) perfectly captures the "Active World Event" of the Harmonic Bleed.
*   **Tactile Grounding:** The detail that "Jax... smelled of salt and gunpowder and that reliable, grounding scent" (late) honors the character profile's emphasis on grounding Lena through scent.
*   **The "Gator's Truth":** The realization that "The Siphon wasn't just stripping the world of its grace. It was harvesting it" (mid) resolves the "Open Loop" regarding the Siphon's true purpose.

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### 4. MUST-FIX -- CONTINUITY

*   **ORIGINAL:** "'By the bayous's bones, you're a hungry one,' she hissed..."
*   **PROBLEM:** The Voice Signature specifies the phrase as "by the bayou's bones" (singular). The text uses a double-possessive plural which interrupts the rhythmic chant style.
*   **FIX:** "By the bayou’s bones, you’re a hungry one."

*   **ORIGINAL:** "She shoved her entire arm into the gap between the primary housing and the bypass valve."
*   **PROBLEM:** The world state states the Scrambler Box was "CRUSHED -- used as a mechanical wedge in gears." If she replaces this with her hand/arm while the gears are screaming/moving, she would lose the limb, yet she is later dragged away with "her legs buckling" but no mention of a severed or mangled arm.
*   **FIX:** "She shoved the jagged remains of the scrambler box deeper into the gap, her hand following the metal into the heat of the primary housing."

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### 5. MUST-FIX -- CLARITY

*   **ORIGINAL:** "The salt-tithe agreement (Ch-08) -- UNPAID." (Context) / "She cast the remnant of that energy into the rising dark water—a token of sweat and shared blood to keep the Drowned Man satisfied for one more hour." (Text)
*   **PROBLEM:** The narrative implies the tithe is settled for now, but the Context Notes state the tithe is "UNPAID." This creates a conflict for the next chapter's state.
*   **FIX:** Ensure the prose clarifies this is a *delaying tactic*, not a settlement. "She cast the remnant of that energy... a temporary bribe of sweat and shared blood, holding the Drowned Man at bay even as the true debt loomed larger."

---

### 6. OPTIONAL SUGGESTIONS

*   **Verification of Physicality:** The profile mentions Lena "twists a silver locket... when lying or hiding emotions." In this chapter, she twists it while resisting Maribelle. While effective, it could be heightened.
*   **Quote:** "Lena whispered, her fingers twisting the silver locket at her throat."
*   **Suggestion:** Add a brief mention of the "magnolia and mud" scent here to contrast the "scorched copper" of the Siphon.

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### 7. FORBIDDEN CHANGES / NON-GOALS

*   **Verbal Tics:** Do NOT "correct" Lena’s repetition ("No no, not yet, no no"). This is her specific "Imperfection signature" for panic.
*   **Dialect:** Do NOT remove "cher" or the Cajun French phrases (*Par le sang...*). These are essential voice signatures.
*   **Technical Jargon:** Do NOT simplify Jax’s dialogue (e.g., "redlining," "dump the bleed"); this technical edge is core to his 45% arc transition.

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### 8. VERDICT

**SCORE: 88**
**REVISE**

**Justification:** The chapter is tonally excellent and hits almost all RAG requirements, including the specific frequency details and character arcs. However, it requires a **REVISE** verdict due to a voice signature typo ("bayous's") and a significant continuity/physics risk involving Lena's arm in the machinery when a wedge (the scrambler box) was already established as the tool in the context. Conflating the "unpaid" status of the salt tithe also needs a minor prose adjustment to ensure the next chapter's starting state is clear.