Once again: doesn't fit. The language doesn't fit. If it were "a consortium" it would say "one of the nine is a ghost who saw the edge" or whatever. None of them say that. It says that the entire group is one thing. The entire group is ghosts, or the darkness, or something else. Not to mention, ghosts and agents of the darkness wouldn't be working together. Nor would the warnings, if what the grimoire implies about them is true.