Opposite Sides

Aralynn comes from the pale-light side.
Aleea comes from the blue-shadow side.
Zylar meets them where lantern porch points toward apple-crate stage.

The Route Test

The seed-filled gate shows a quick narrow line.
Aralynn can cross it easily.
Aleea tries one step and stops.

Aleea: Safe for one is not ready for everyone.

Zylar turns the gate toward the wider mark.

Round One — Four Sounds

Counted in 7/8: tap-tap, brush-brush, hum, clap.

All: Lose a sound; keep the room.
Let the wide path set the tune.

Round Two — Three Sounds

The clap drops out.
Counted in 5/8: tap-tap, brush-brush, hum.

Aralynn steps first.
Aleea follows at her own pace.
Zylar watches the clear edge.

Round Three — Two Sounds

The hum drops out.
Counted in 5/8: tap-tap, brush-brush.

Aleea lifts one heel slowly.
The others wait for it to lower.
No one copies her shape for a joke.

Irreversible Turn

Zylar: The slowest action can keep our time.

From now on, every phrase begins
when Aleea’s heel returns to the ground.
The fast cue does not come back.

Round Four — One Sound

The brush drops out.
Counted in 3/4: tap . . . tap.

Before garden bell corner, Aleea raises her heel.
Aralynn and Zylar wait.
When the heel lowers, they reverse direction together.

Round Five — No Made Sound

The tap drops out.
No one makes the rhythm.

One dry seed shell inside the gate settles
against an ordinary apple-crate edge:

tik.

The background sound completes the missing beat.

Closing Lines

Aralynn: We did not need the quickest count.
Aleea: We needed room enough to move.
Zylar: And one small tik was plenty.