In Observable Existence, there is a phenomenon called the Grateful Collapse.
It occurs when a THE entity, having defeated a rival, chooses to spare them rather than consume their Civilization entirely. The victor believes they are being magnanimous. They believe they are showing strength through restraint, demonstrating that they are above the need for total annihilation. They walk away with their pride intact, certain they have proven themselves the better being.
And the spared entity remembers.
They remember the taste of dirt beneath their face. They remember the weight of authority pressing them into submission. They remember the choice their enemy made, the condescension dressed as kindness. And in the eons that follow, while they rebuild what was nearly destroyed, that memory becomes the foundation upon which all future actions are constructed.
The ancient records write of this pattern repeating across ages.
