Jun woke to a different kind of stillness.
Not the absence of sound, but the sense that something had moved gently while he slept—and left everything exactly as it was, only slightly shifted.
The kettle hadn't yet warmed. The window was shut this time, but along the sill, a faint, finger-thin line of dust traced where the breeze had touched yesterday. Outside, the morning light was paler than usual, a cool gray slipping across the floor like the ghost of steam.
The folded cloth from the night before remained on the low table, still cradling the jar and the card inside. The crease had held. The spiral emboss hadn't moved. But when Jun reached out and pressed his fingers to the fold, he felt something beneath it.
Not resistance. Not invitation.
Just presence. A quiet that stayed behind after everything else had left.
> [System Drift Status: Fold Alignment Sustained – Passive Sync 99.87%]
Thread: Echo | Status: Holding
---
He didn't pack in a rush.
