Chapter 156: Green Dawn and a New Ping—The first rays of dawn slipped over the eastern ridge and washed the little homestead in soft gold, turning the carrot seedlings in Kent's makeshift garden into glowing slivers of lime‑colored glass. The air still carried a crisp chill, so every breath seemed to sparkle as it left his lips. He stood barefoot on the porch splinterboards, cradling a chipped mug of instant coffee, and allowed himself a small, quiet smile. Only days ago these garden beds had been barren ash; now three neat patches thrived, each sprout proof that even scorched soil could be coaxed back to life with the right mix of stubbornness, compost, and hope.
A sudden crystalline ding whispered inside his skull.
[System: Join request approved – Immortal Chat Group. Temporary name: "Newcomer‑143."]
Kent very nearly spilled hot coffee onto his toes. "They let me in!" he breathed, clutching the mug to his chest as if it were a trophy.
