The night had already deepened fully over the village by the time I finally returned to my room, the last traces of activity outside fading into a distant hush that lingered only in the form of occasional footsteps along the corridor and the soft rustle of wind brushing against the wooden walls.
A faint lantern light hung outside my doorway, its glow steady but gentle, spilling across the threshold as if marking the boundary between the busy world outside and the brief moment of solitude I had finally earned after an entire day of managing disputes, assigning responsibilities, and pushing an entire struggling village one step closer to stability.
For the first time since morning, there was nothing demanding my attention.
Only silence.
