Apprentices Flicker and Glimmer work in the Grand Display Hall, responsible for the final placement of ornaments on the Great Evergreen. They quickly observe that the star ornaments lack their usual conceptual vibrancy, suffering from the widespread Gray Fade. Flicker, impatient with standard procedures, tests the structural integrity of a symbol-carved pillar by striking it with an ornament. The impact causes the pillar surface to instantly erase its carvings, leaving a patch of absolute grey, confirming the aggressive nature of the conceptual consumption on foundational structures. Glimmer recognizes this as active deletion, not mere fading, and immediately moves to bypass aesthetic controls to force raw energy into the Evergreen's lighting system, believing only brute force conceptual input can counteract the threat. Flicker prepares for the imminent failure of the main light source.