The morning fire inside the legendary relief hearth crackled with steady, aromatic heat as soup pots began to simmer.
Refugees from the nearby tenement blocks gathered along the benches, their hollow expressions softening under the warmth of fresh food.
Across the hearthstone sat the cloaked Watcher, her weathered gaze resting with solemn intensity upon young Ash.
"The boy will carry this weight whether you understand it or not," she began, her raspy voice cutting through the morning chatter.
"You need to hear what the network nodes were before Concord turned them into inescapable anchors!"
Juna shifted her position on the bench, moving closer to Ash while Loccy rested her gauntleted hand against the table.
Ferra set down her charcoal notebook, leaning forward across the table to listen to the ancient history.
"Guardian Beasts once maintained the entire network," the Watcher continued, tracing a circle in the spilled flour on the table.
