Jiujirou

When Jiujirou returned to The Dojo without their partner, they offered only a side smile and the same cryptic line to every question: 'Takayoshi found a deeper stone to listen to.' They resumed their training, their geomancy still grounded and powerful, but something was irrevocably changed. The rock chakra on their back, once a silent focus, now emits a low, resonant hum whenever they are near the training grounds' largest monoliths. Their eyes, once keen, are now perpetually half-closed, as though they witnessed a light too brilliant to ever forget. The other students watch them spar and wonder what really happened out there. And more importantly, when the stone on Jiujirou's back hums, who is listening on the other side?