We used to figure out a disappeared person was in a dungeon, someone in a dungeon had no idea why they were there, or choose your scenario. A writ of Habeas Corpus says - you should have the body, bring forth the body to the court. It's a basic protection against the State clandestinely incarcerating someone. Habeas corpus can produce a report on the incarceration, and the writ brings the body before a court. We want to know how they got there, charges, and any meaningful due process.

I sometimes think of it like a protection against rabies. With rabies, by the time you exhibit enough symptoms to indicate rabies, care is marginal, you are highly likely to die, cross your fingers and hope for the best. Don't wait for clear symptoms for treatment.

There are no clear symptoms that you are losing your democracy and rule of law on the way to losing democracy and rule of law, just indications that may not personally affect you, but once there are clear symptoms, you've already highly likely lost democracy and the rule of law, and then you make the decision to stay, fight, or flee.