Restraint looks like weakness to anyone who measures power by force.
The city woke into that misinterpretation quietly. Nothing had broken. Nothing had failed. And that—ironically—was what invited the misunderstanding.
Stability is often read as softness by those who only understand dominance.
✦
Arjun felt it the moment the first external signal arrived.
"They're probing," he said.
"Not asking. Testing."
"Yes," I replied.
"Because restraint invites curiosity from the impatient."
✦
The other Ishaan aligned, voice calm and exact.
Those who confuse restraint for fear always strike too early, he said.
✦
By midmorning, the probes sharpened.
Requests arrived framed as necessities. Deadlines compressed just enough to be inconvenient. Dependencies were assumed without confirmation. Nothing overt. Nothing aggressive.
Just enough pressure to see what would give.
✦
Arjun frowned.
"They think we'll bend."
"Yes," I said.
"Because bending looks polite from the outside."
✦
