The colossal custodian knelt in the dust outside the eastern boundary archway, folding her immense fingers quietly upon her lap.
Her glowing rose eyes remained fixed upon the wooden porch where young Ash stood beside the registry railing.
Every municipal guard along the perimeter held their breath, their knuckles white upon their spear shafts as silence gripped the district.
The morning breeze rustled through the roadside pines, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and damp mountain earth across the avenue.
Hajin stood five paces inside the town line, keeping all six rings dormant within his core while observing her posture.
Lana stayed at the boy's flank, her hand hovering just above his shoulder without imposing any physical restraint upon him.
Across the cobblestones, Vella watched from the open clinic entrance, monitoring the spiritual flow between mother and child with sharp medical focus.
