"That's what makes Atharun special," Ha-joon said from across the carriage, his tone thoughtful. "They call it Sulhaqi ; the Breath of the Sun. Their cultivation method is rooted in harmony with heat and endurance. They believe enlightenment comes from surviving the desert, not avoiding it."
Eun-woo turned toward him. "You've studied them," he said, not as a question but as an observation.
Ha-joon smiled faintly. "I tried to. But words on paper can only tell you so much. To understand a people, you have to walk their land, breathe their air. See how they live and how they endure." His gaze shifted toward the horizon. "That's why we're here. Not just to learn how they cultivate, but to learn what drives them to keep going when the world offers nothing but sand and sun."
For a while, silence filled the carriage. Comfortable, thoughtful silence. Eun-woo rested his chin against his hand, watching the endless dunes drift by like waves frozen in time.
