Sera Thorne did not let her hands shake as the warm porcelain cup rested in her calloused palm.
A single droplet of pale jasmine tea clung to the celadon rim, vibrating gently with the rhythm of her breathing. Claire Vance’s leather-bound recipe book rested heavy in the crook of her right arm.
Beside her, Mina Vance held her breath, her eyes locked onto Kaelen’s linen back.
Kaelen took a single, unhurried stride forward.
His cloth slippers brushed against a scorched furrow in the star-jade stone. He did not draw a sword. He did not assume an aggressive martial stance.
He simply exhaled, letting his shoulders sink into a state of total, unbothered relaxation.
Within his soul-sea, the bronze-white surface of the Fallow Slate pulsed with calm authority.
[Fallow Slate] [Five-Minute Burst Window Initiated] [Multipliers Active: 1,000,100x Across All 4 Tracks] [Total Compressed Progress: 5,000,500 Baseline Hours] [Countdown: 05m 00s]
