Chapter 11: The Weight of a Spoken Name

The fog outside the Vault had thickened by the time So Cheong and Mok Ran climbed the last stair. It pressed against their faces like a wet cloth, and the valley beyond the palisades had become a rumor of itself—only the nearest pines visible, each one dripping with a patience that felt older than the sect. So Cheong paused at the threshold, letting the furnace in their chest settle from the climb...