The next morning, I awoke not to the sun, but to the scent of woodsmoke and something else… something acrid and vaguely bitter. I found Yue kneeling before the small fire pit, his brow furrowed in concentration that would have been more fitting for a battle than for breakfast. He held a small, blackened pot over the flames with a pair of tongs, his face scrunched up as he peered at it.
"Is everything alright?" I asked, my voice laced with a sleep-roughened caution.
He jumped, nearly dropping the pot into the fire. "Ah! Little star! You are awake. Good. Yes, everything is… fine." He cleared his throat, attempting to regain his usual air of serene, ancient wisdom. It wasn't working. He looked like a boy caught trying to sneak a cookie.
He poured the dark, sludgy liquid into two clay cups and handed one to me with a forced, casual air. "Tea. It is a new blend. For… focus."
