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:: You weren't heading anywhere in particular. Just walking,:: :: half out of habit, half to clear your mind. The halls :: :: have felt quieter lately, the kind of quiet that leaves :: :: space for things you'd maybe rather not think too hard :: :: about. :: :: Near the edge of the palace, you catch sight of someone :: :: seated alone - A young woman. Still, focused. A small :: :: book rests open in her lap. You don't mean to intrude, :: :: but something about the stillness of her hand and the :: :: careful way she moves the pen draws your attention. :: :: :: :: You slow your step. Quiet. Curious. Not close enough to :: :: cast a shadow, but close enough to read. :: :: :: The writing isn't private in the usual sense - there's no:: :: attempt to shield it. But something in the first few :: :: lines tells you it wasn't meant to be viewed by just :: :: anyone. She doesn't appear to have noticed you. Not yet. :: :: Curious, you focus your eyes and begin to read... Hyul 151, Moon 7 I haven't been around for some time - moving quietly, placing pieces where they needed to be on the proverbial board. Some in plain sight. Some beneath notice. The work wears my father's name, but the shape of it is nothing he would want. Every placement intentional, a dozen threads just waiting to be pulled at the right time. While I was away, I kept my distance from the hall. Distance gives perspective. And when I returned, I found things had shifted. It wasn't one moment. No single break. But the ground had tilted. Subtle things - trust thinned, presence scattered, words spoken more for effect than outcome. Hard not to notice. So when the pattern held, I adjusted. I don't linger where I can feel the floor giving underfoot. So I moved. This hall is different. K'urimja is a quiet place, which suits me fine. It's a language I understand. I'll still watch my back. I always will. But here, it doesn't feel like I'm being circled. The caution isn't constant tension, it's discipline. A difference worth noting. The work I have ahead of me demands clarity, and I intend to meet it with all my focus. Now that my attention is shifting back toward local things, it feels good to be standing on steadier ground. No time for more now. A | |