Kai left with no map and no guarantees, only a suitcase of odd gifts and a hunger that tasted like potential. The Life Selector at the arcade had been free and, somehow, verified: proof that some choices are not about exchange of coin but about willingness. Back at the arcade the orb sat dark, the plaque dusty. A kid wandered in, eyes wide at the glow. Kai straightened the plaque with a grin.