The appointment was kept.
No one recalled scheduling it.
He arrived early,
as instructed by the previous instruction.
There were no attendants.
No court. No witnesses.
Only a chair
already shaped to receive him.
He sat.
The system acknowledged this.
A device was placed in his hand—
or perhaps it had always been there.
It emitted a soft and continuous light,
sufficient for recognition,
insufficient for understanding.
On its surface:
Processing
He did not object.
There was nothing to object to.
Behind him,
a structure assembled itself
from decisions already made.
Charts resolved into architecture.
Language hardened into walls.
He was not addressed directly.
Instead, messages appeared:
Session Expired
Pending Approval
Access Denied
He understood none of them individually.
Together, they formed a verdict.
Time did not pass.
It accumulated.
At the lower edge of his field of vision,
a bar advanced
and refused completion.
99%
He remained composed.
This had always been the requirement.
No crown was removed.
No title revoked.
Nothing so theatrical occurred.
He was not dethroned.
He was processed.
