The quiet in Lin Tian's room felt heavier after the Spire, like the air itself was waiting. He sat on his meditation mat, trying to settle the new, unified Ice Flame Qi in his dantian.
A faint, familiar warmth tugged at the edge of his awareness—Su Lan's side of their bond, flickering like a candle in the wind.
A firm knock sounded at his door before it slid open. Su Lan stood there in her Discipline Hall uniform, her expression a careful mask of professional duty. "Recovery assessment," she stated, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. Her eyes scanned him, but he saw the tightness at the corners of her mouth, the slight sheen of sweat on her temple.
"The petal retrieval caused no new damage," she said, her voice clipped. She moved closer, holding out a hand. "Let me check your pulse."
