Crow sat with his head in his hands, elbows resting against his knees. "I don't know. Sometimes, I feel like things were easier with the Witness."

Across the go board, Saladin choked on his drink, nearly spitting it over the table. Crow rolled his eyes. "You know that's not what I meant."

"I hope not, or we are about to have a much different conversation," Saladin retorted.

"At the end of the day, the Witness was something we could label. Identify. A being unified in a very specific purpose. And when it was defeated, it was over. Done. We could move on," Crow posited. He placed a stone on the board and Saladin quickly countered, expanding his territory.

"From the reports I've read, these Echoes are different," Saladin offered.

"Exactly. We have no idea how many there actually are—what they want. Or why. They're impossible to anticipate," Crow said.

"Tell me, have you ever faced down an enemy that exhibited no patterns, no purpose, no strategy?" Saladin asked, patiently watching Crow.

"…No. But the idea of punching wildly at shadows doesn't sit well with me either. How do you defeat something like that?" Crow replied. He made his move and grimaced with instant regret.

"Sometimes, victory is less about winning and more about not losing," Saladin said. "A matter of intent—"

"And perspective," Crow finished, his focus suddenly on the stone in his hand.