Chapter 3373 features five named characters in a single scene: Rhys (First Councilor turned witness), two ancient exiles (powers predating the System), Caelia (whose wound became a shared scar), and the Other (who offered itself as quarry). This is the highest character density of any Echoes chapter today. Managing five distinct perspectives in a first-contact scene — where speaking order, power dynamics, and emotional registers all carry narrative weight — requires more drafting time than the typical 1-2 character chapters.