Jun Kai did not sleep well that night.
Not because of lightning instability.
Not because of physical fatigue.
But because of a single, infuriating realization that refused to release him.
He did not know Jin Yue's full name.
He did not know his birthday.
The most basic information.
And yet he had...
Monitored his pulse in battle.
Tested his reaction to lightning.
Observed the way he stood in silence when accused.
Noticed the way he held a bowl of rice, steady even when others argued around him.
Ridiculous.
Jun Kai lay awake on his back, staring at the wooden beams of his chamber ceiling. The lantern beside his bed had long since dimmed to a faint glow, but sleep would not come.
What kind of strategist fails at fundamentals?
He prided himself on preparation. On knowing the terrain, the opponent, the variables.
He could calculate formation weaknesses within three breaths.
He could predict patrol shifts by listening to footstep cadence.
And yet...
