Sometimes it embarrassed Marron, the way she half-expected her life to end just because she was no longer "special."
She awoke in silence, without any System popups or earth-shattering tremors. The sense of missing the tools that once spoke to her had abandoned her completely.
For once, she felt...quite normal. A bit sore from the soft mattress, actually.
Normalcy.
That was what surprised her most.
Her hands still worked. Her senses still held. Her thoughts came clearly, without the quiet chorus of tools aligning themselves around her intentions. The absence was noticeable, yes, but it wasn't a wound. More like a space that had been left open on purpose.
She washed, dressed, and went about her morning.
She cooked breakfast again—simple this time. Toast, eggs, tea. It took longer. She had to watch the pan, test the heat, taste twice instead of once. She smiled at the small imperfections and ate anyway.
Life had not ceased.
It had simply… slowed to a human pace.
