Journal Entry, dated 3 years before the encounter…
“The city never stops humming. Even out here, where the wires end and the wild begins, I can still feel its pulse under my skin. I used to live for that rhythm. I built things—systems, networks, dependencies. I watched people trade pieces of their soul for the illusion of connection. And I helped it all run smoother.
But something cracked the day I met her. Not Riley—no, that comes later. I’m talking about the girl who asked why the stars were gone. I told her light pollution. She said, ‘No. I think we stopped looking up.’ That silence haunted me.
I left the city that night. No farewell, no grand goodbye. Just disappeared into the analog. Built this place out here, learned to listen again. Learned that guidance isn’t about answers—it’s about asking better questions.”
This rare peek into the Guide’s inner world offers a powerful contrast to the digital noise of Unfangled. It adds nuance to his role as mentor—he, too, had to get himself unfangled before he could help someone else do the same.
Secrets from the past will be revealed as we edge closer to the heart of the story.
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