To: Facilitator, Crimson Leaf Publishing  
From: Cora, Continuity & Accuracy Editor  
Subject: Continuity Review: Chapter 7: "Locked in the Dark"

This Chapter 7 draft introduces several critical continuity fractures and world-building ambiguities that threaten the established logic of the series. My primary concern is the sudden introduction of "Glacial Salt" and "Crownglass," as well as the inconsistent geography of the newly merged school.

### 1. STRENGTHS
*   **Relationship State:** The "tension toward combustion" trajectory remains consistent with the established rivals-to-lovers arc. Specifically, Dorian’s line, *"Ice isn't about the absence of feeling... It’s about the preservation of it,"* aligns with the established characterization of his magic as a containment or suppression mechanism.
*   **Internal Timeline:** The proximity to the "Council arrival at dawn" provides a consistent ticking clock for the administrative stakes established in earlier chapters.

### 2. CONCERNS

**A. Character Ability & Survival Logic (Major Flag)**
*   **The Contradiction:** In the opening, Mira says, *"Dammit, Dorian, hold the light!"* and Dorian produces a starlight-sphere. However, Mira is a fire mage. Later, she snaps her fingers and produces an *"orange-red flame."* 
*   **Citing the Flag:** Chapter 1 established that Mira’s fire magic provides both heat and illumination. Yet, in this chapter, she is reliant on Dorian’s light and later claims, *"I can melt through the hinges,"* which Dorian dismisses by saying she’ll *"drain [herself] to nothing."* 
*   **Issue:** If Mira can produce flame indefinitely for light, the "thinning oxygen" subplot (line: *"You’re consuming the oxygen"*) should have been an immediate concern from the first paragraph, not a mid-chapter realization. Furthermore, if she is a master fire mage, the salt "eating heat" is a new rule that needs a prior anchor in Chapter 2 (The Magic System overview).

**B. Geographic Inconsistency (Major Flag)**
*   **The Contradiction:** The text states they are in the *"archives beneath the North Wing."* 
*   **Citing the Flag:** Chapter 4 (The Integration) established the North Wing as the residential dormitory for the former Ice Academy students. It was explicitly stated that the Administrative Records and the "Merger Scrolls" were kept in the **High Spire** (neutral ground). 
*   **Issue:** Why are Mira and Dorian in the basement of a dormitory for legal documents? If the scrolls were moved, this needs an explicit trail of evidence.

**C. Material Science Discrepancy (Minor Flag)**
*   **The Contradiction:** The door is described as *"enchanted Crownglass"* and *"iron door"* in the same scene.
*   **Citing the Flag:** Line 1: *"The iron door didn’t just slam..."* vs. Line 6: *"only the smooth, mocking expanse of enchanted Crownglass."* 
*   **Issue:** Iron and glass are fundamentally different materials with different thermal properties. If Mira is trying to melt the door, the material matters. Is it metal or glass?

**D. The "Hidden Passageway" Logic (Ambiguity)**
*   **Observation:** The wall slides open because of... what? No trigger is identified. If it responds to "combined power," this is a new law of the world.
*   **Ambiguity:** We established in the Project Description that this is an "Adult Romance, Sensual but Tasteful." The shift from a sexual encounter directly into a "wet, dragging" horror monster sequence is a tonal whiplash that borders on a genre break. Does this creature exist in the established Bestiary for the Starfall world?

### 3. VERDICT: MAJOR FLAGS

**REVISE.** 
This chapter cannot proceed to the next stage until the following are corrected:
1.  **Material Consistency:** Decide if the door is Iron or Crownglass.
2.  **Location Alignment:** Explain why the scrolls are in the North Wing (Dorms) rather than the Spire (Admin), or move the scene.
3.  **Oxygen Logic:** If Mira’s magic consumes oxygen, she shouldn't be asking for "more light" while they are trapped.
4.  **The Monster:** Confirm the identity of the "wet, dragging" entity against the established lore of the school's foundations. We have not previously established that the school is built over a crypt or monster lair.