The First Night at the Lodge

Airnote  ·  Ruvina  ·  Sep 19, 2025

The sound of water in the tunnels, and the distant kan… kan…
held the night together.

Yu held out a paper plane.
When I unfolded it, the words inside said: just being here.
My fingers — bare, without the gloves — were still trembling slightly.
But the air of the Lodge softened around that,
as if carrying the flame forward.

The sweetness of dried yam. The bitterness of herb tea.
Our breathing mixed together,
and what lingered was a warmth that wasn't the poison of dreams.

This was the taste of the beginning of observation —
down here, underground.