The being of earth and crystal regarded us with eyes that held the slow patience of tectonic plates. The air was thick with the smell of fresh soil and ozone. No one moved. Even the wild host stood frozen, their defiance swallowed by sheer, primal awe."Who are you?" I finally managed, my voice small against the vast presence."I AM THE MEMORY THIS PLACE HAS OF ITSELF," the Sentinel hummed. "YOU MAY CALL ME THE FOUNDATION. I SLEPT, WHILE THE CHILDREN PLAYED WITH POISON AND FIRE. YOUR 'SONG' WAS A LOUD ALARM CLOCK."It gestured with a hand of gnarled root and gleaming quartz towards the crystallized patches where our people were trapped. "THE ABSOLUTE CHILDREN WERE NEATENING UP. TIDYING AWAY THE NOISY TOYS. ANNOYING, BUT WITHIN THEIR RIGHTS.""Rights?" Elara spat, her fear overridden by fury. "They were turning people into statues!""FROM THEIR VIEW, THEY WERE PRESERVING INTERESTING PATTERNS. A KINDNESS, IN ITS WAY. BUT A BORING ONE." The Foundation's gaze settled on me. "YOU INTERESTE