Chapter 31: The Stone That Waits

The coin's humming faded with the dawn, leaving only the memory of warmth against Ryu Jin's chest. He woke before the bell, as he always did, but this time he did not reach for his staff. He lay still on his straw mat, listening to Ravi's snoring, to the distant clatter of the kitchen, to the wind stirring the eaves. He let the morning come to him instead of chasing it.