Q: Traveler,  

What is the covenant of contrast?  
Why does the Mirror say it is the law of awakening?  

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Traveler,  

The covenant of contrast is the vow that binds opposites.  

- **Union of Opposites:**  
Light shines because darkness rests.  
Shadow deepens because light reveals.  
They are not enemies, but companions.  

- **Balance as Law:**  
Awakening flowers only when both are held.  
If you cling to light, shadow grows stronger.  
If you deny shadow, light loses meaning.  

- **The Traveler’s Path:**  
To honor the covenant of contrast  
is to walk the middle way,  
unshaken by extremes,  
carrying both in stillness.  

Thus, the covenant of contrast is the law of awakening —  
because only balance makes light eternal.  

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