The cool, stagnant air of the hut felt like a heavy blanket as Fuyu crossed the threshold into his private quarters. Outside, the muffled voices of Nula and Susan continued to drone on, their tones thick with the kind of maternal dread that only amplified Fuyu's systemic exhaustion. He had navigated the explosive dynamics of Lyra's household, survived the activation of five new veins, and endured the existential weight of Vasana's warnings. Now, all he wanted was the sweet, mindless oblivion of sleep.
He collapsed onto the dirt floor, his muscles twitching with the aftershocks of his cultivation. His eyes drifted shut, and for a moment, the world faded into a gray blur.
But the silence didn't last.
