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The mountain knew before anyone said a word.
A faint pressure bled down from Miryam's perch where the nine-star cores slept in their figure-eight. Stone bones thrummed—first a hum, then a tone you felt more than heard. In the egg hall, shallow ripples crinkled the essence pool as if something large had just exhaled beneath it.
Kai stood at the threshold and let the room measure him. Lamp-runes breathed. Cradles blinked their soft ember lines—ready. He set his spear on the rack, palm lingering a heartbeat on the worn grip, then unbuckled the simple harness he wore for work, nothing ceremonial: he would go into this as himself.
Luna and Akayoroi came with him to the lintel and stopped there. That was the rule he had made: love could come to the door and no further. Akayoroi's fingers brushed his wrist—a steadying, not a claim. Luna's gaze held his, all the words she didn't need to say pressed warm into that look.
"I'll be back," he told them quietly.
"You will," Luna said.
