### 1. PROSE EVIDENCE
*   **Quote 1 (Early):** "She swayed like mist-shrouded reeds in a rising wind, her fingers instinctively reaching for the rough bark of the archway to ground herself."
    *   *Commentary:* This effectively utilizes the character’s "What they REACH FOR" tactile profile requirement to ground her in the natural environment.
*   **Quote 2 (Mid):** "The Council of Oakhaven... pierced a dormant vein of the world-soul to draw power, and when it soured, they let the rot spread to hide their theft."
    *   *Commentary:* This efficiently summarizes the "Council Corruption Reckoning" open loop while maintaining the formal, rhythmic sentence structure required of Elara’s voice.
*   **Quote 3 (Late):** "In the distance, they could hear the faint, echoing cracks of calcified black vines shattering as the vibrant life of the Elderwood surged forward."
    *   *Commentary:* This provides a sensory payoff to the "Thorne Blackroot" status update, confirming his death through the physical dissolution of his magic.
*   **Quote 4 (Late):** "I... I flow toward the village soon... The waters... no, the purpose is clear."
    *   *Commentary:* This verbatim passage successfully demonstrates the "Imperfection signature" of water-related metaphors when Elara is spiritually drained.

### 2. CHARACTER VOICE AUDIT

**ELARA VANCE**
*   **Line:** "The falls whisper what the roots already know—the debt is paid, but the weaving calls us onward."
*   **Signature Vocabulary/Tics:** **YES.** She uses "the roots" and "the weaving," and specifically invokes the example line provided in the profile.
*   **Forbidden Patterns:** **YES.** She avoids all casual slang and modern idioms.
*   **Emotional Register:** **YES.** She is burdened but resolute, transitioning into her role as a proactive leader as per the character state.

**KAELEN**
*   **Line:** "The gardens of the world are a bit larger than you anticipated."
*   **Signature Vocabulary/Tics:** **YES.** His voice is stoic and low, consistent with the "vigilant and protective" state.
*   **Forbidden Patterns:** **YES.** No slang used.
*   **Emotional Register:** **YES.** He has "fully accepted the role of Guardian," visible in his refusal to rest despite his injuries.

### 3. STRENGTHS TO PRESERVE
*   **The "Imperfect Signatures" of Exhaustion:** The specific verbal fumbling Elara does ("I... I flow... no, I mean falter") is a crucial character trait from the [voice-sig-elara] and serves as a strong internal indicator of her spiritual state.
*   **Tactile Grounding:** The passage "She traced the Sigil on her palm, the light beneath the skin dimming to a soft, rhythmic glow" (Mid) preserves her physical habit of tracing runes to ground herself, especially when wincing from her "bruised ribs."
*   **The Balance of Reciprocal Secrets:** The revelation of Kaelen’s "Sun-Guard" bloodline perfectly mirrors Elara’s revelation of the Council’s guilt, satisfying the "Known secrets" prompts for both characters in the RAG context.

### 4. MUST-FIX -- CONTINUITY
*   **ORIGINAL:** "The Circle of Thorns was gone, Thorne Blackroot nothing more than dust and memory..." (Late)
*   **PROBLEM:** This contradicts the [character-state] which notes Thorne was "Witnessed by Elara being calcified and shattered." In the previous chapter's context, Thorne was a physical presence. Referring to him as "dust and memory" so soon might be metaphorical, but the world state implies he *just* died.
*   **FIX:** Reference the physical evidence of his recent end to reinforce the "Witnessed" state: "The Circle of Thorns was gone, the calcified shards of Thorne Blackroot already being swallowed by the rising moss."

### 5. MUST-FIX -- CLARITY
*   **ORIGINAL:** "I take a quiet breath, trying to steady the water-bright rhythm..." (Early)
*   **PROBLEM:** While the draft uses past tense ("Elara emerged," "Kaelen said"), this specific line (and a few others in the draft) briefly threatens to slip into the present-tense internal monologue without clear italics or formatting. 
*   **FIX:** Change to: "She took a quiet breath, trying to steady the water-bright rhythm..." (Ensure third-person past tense is consistent throughout).

### 6. OPTIONAL SUGGESTIONS
*   **Suggestion:** Enhance the "mud" motif.
    *   **Context:** The RAG notes "NPCs notice and comment on" her mud trails. 
    *   **Quote:** "A trail of dark, rich mud followed her, shedding from her boots..." (Early).
    *   **Improvement:** Have Kaelen glance at the trail as she approaches, acknowledging the "mark" she leaves on the sanctum floor to emphasize his "Vigilant" state.

### 7. FORBIDDEN CHANGES / NON-GOALS
*   **DO NOT** replace "By the roots" with more standard exclamations; this is her specific verbal tic.
*   **DO NOT** remove the water metaphors (e.g., "I flow... falter") even though they look like errors; these are her mandated "Imperfection signatures."
*   **DO NOT** modernize the dialogue between Elara and Kaelen. Their formal, slightly archaic way of speaking (e.g., "What the roots already know") is a core requirement of the Voice Signature.

### 8. VERDICT
**SCORE: 92/100**
**REVISE**
The chapter is an excellent execution of the provided [voice-sig] and [character-state] requirements. However, it requires a minor revision for **Continuity** regarding the specific physical remains of the antagonist and a consistency check on **Tense** within Elara's internal observations. Once the "calcified shards" phrasing is clarified and tense is unified, it is a perfect bridge into the final reckoning.