Jun didn't rise with the kettle today.
Not at first.
He lay still for several minutes, watching the morning light soften across the far wall. It moved slow, like breath through linen. The room was quiet, but not heavy. He didn't feel rushed. Or late. Just present.
The second cloth still rested in its place, folded in shadow.
He sat up and placed a hand over it—not to use it, just to feel its shape.
Then came the sound.
Not a ping. Not a chime.
A kind of pulse. Gentle, but deep. Like a hollowed bell from far off.
[System Notification: Echo Resonance Preview – Tier 1 Unlocked] [Visual Mode: Available | Emotional Overlay: Passive | Location Anchor: Echo Row]
Jun didn't open it right away. He stood. Washed his face. Let the day settle.
Only after breakfast—plain rice and yesterday's pickles—did he sit again and tap the corner of the interface.
The display didn't bloom or flash. It eased forward like mist.
What appeared wasn't a map.
It was rhythm.
