Morning arrived without urgency. It slipped gently over the Tiger Clan estate, spilling through floor-to-ceiling glass walls and stretching across polished stone and dark wood floors as if careful not to disturb anything it touched. The first light of day carried no weight, no warning. Only warmth. Only stillness.

Outside, the courtyard rested beneath a canopy of cherry blossoms in full bloom. Petals loosened from their branches with the quiet patience of time, drifting downward in soft spirals before settling across the stone walkways, the black-tiled reflecting pools, and the manicured edges of the gardens. The breeze moved just enough to keep them in motion, just enough to remind the world that nothing ever truly stood still. Two years had passed.

Two years had passed since fear had settled into the bones of the Tiger Clan like winter that would not end. Two years since whispered updates carried more weight than conversation, since every unexpected sound had drawn attention, since grief and uncertainty had moved through the estate like unseen guests no one invited, but everyone was forced to accommodate.

Now, those days felt distant. But distant enough that peace had begun to feel believable again.

To Be Continued…