diff --git a/docs/ARCH_INDEX.md b/docs/ARCH_INDEX.md
index 07cba7b..26eeedb 100644
--- a/docs/ARCH_INDEX.md
+++ b/docs/ARCH_INDEX.md
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ Plans, contracts, and research notes. Contracts define **system behavior**.
 
 - `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md` — contract-first, phased implementation plan
 - `V1_READINESS.md` — v1.0 release criteria and dogfooding evidence
-- `VOLUME_DIRECTION.md` — product direction for the Dataset + Volume dual-paradigm model
 - `contracts/CONTRACT_CORE.md` — core model invariants and immutability
 - `contracts/CONTRACT_WRITE_API.md` — write API semantics and errors
 - `contracts/CONTRACT_STORAGE.md` — storage adapter obligations
diff --git a/docs/VOLUME_DIRECTION.md b/docs/VOLUME_DIRECTION.md
deleted file mode 100644
index bdbec9b..0000000
--- a/docs/VOLUME_DIRECTION.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,95 +0,0 @@
-# VOLUME_DIRECTION.md — Dataset + Volume Product Direction
-
-This document records product intent for the dual-paradigm Lode model.
-It is design framing, not an API contract.
-
----
-
-## Purpose
-
-Define a second first-class persistence paradigm (`Volume`) that complements
-the existing `Dataset` abstraction without changing Lode's core scope.
-
-Lode remains an embedded persistence library, not a runtime.
-
----
-
-## Core Philosophy (Unchanged)
-
-Lode continues to define:
-- explicit persisted state
-- immutable objects and snapshots
-- manifest-driven commit visibility
-- backend-agnostic storage semantics
-
-Lode does not define:
-- scheduling
-- networking
-- execution/runtime policy
-- torrent protocol behavior
-
----
-
-## Two Persistence Paradigms
-
-### Dataset (existing)
-
-Mental model: complete structured collections of named objects.
-
-Key invariant:
-- A committed Dataset snapshot is complete and authoritative.
-
-### Volume (v0.6.0)
-
-Mental model: a logical byte address space `[0..N)` that may be sparsely
-materialized and committed over time.
-
-Key invariant:
-- A committed Volume snapshot explicitly lists which byte ranges exist.
-- Missing ranges are meaningful and must never be inferred.
-
----
-
-## Streaming Boundary (Critical)
-
-Dataset streaming remains supported, but narrowly framed:
-
-- Dataset streaming is an ingestion mechanic for building complete objects
-- partial data is never committed truth in Dataset manifests
-- commit remains atomic at snapshot visibility level
-
-Volume streaming owns:
-- incremental committed truth
-- resumability
-- sparse/out-of-order materialization
-- range-verified reads
-
-Anchor sentence:
-
-> Dataset streaming builds complete objects before committing truth; Volume streaming commits truth incrementally.
-
----
-
-## Phase-0 Objective for Volume
-
-Prove that Lode can persist and serve sparse, verified byte ranges explicitly
-while preserving manifest-driven commit semantics.
-
-Expected phase-0 scope:
-- manifest model for committed segments
-- deterministic resume/restart behavior
-- explicit range-read semantics
-- filesystem and memory validation
-
-Excluded from phase-0:
-- torrent/runtime logic
-- performance tuning
-- deployable services
-
----
-
-## Design Discipline
-
-- `Dataset` and `Volume` are coequal primitives, not wrappers over each other
-- adapters remain dumb; lifecycle semantics stay in Lode core
-- runtime-aware policy belongs in consuming systems (for example, Quarry)
diff --git a/docs/contracts/CONTRACT_VOLUME.md b/docs/contracts/CONTRACT_VOLUME.md
index f730fb5..a40a0f4 100644
--- a/docs/contracts/CONTRACT_VOLUME.md
+++ b/docs/contracts/CONTRACT_VOLUME.md
@@ -305,10 +305,16 @@ volumes/<volume_id>/data/<offset>-<length>.bin
 
 - Dataset streaming: atomic construction of complete objects
 - Volume streaming: incremental commitment of partial truth
+- Neither is a wrapper or special case of the other
 
 If a workflow requires sparse, resumable, out-of-order, or range-verified truth,
 it belongs to `Volume`, not `Dataset`.
 
+Design discipline:
+- Adapters remain minimal; lifecycle semantics stay in Lode core.
+- Runtime-aware policy (scheduling, peer management, execution strategy)
+  belongs in consuming systems, not in Lode.
+
 ---
 
 ## Prohibited Behaviors