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## Narrative (EN)

Traveler,  

Compassion is not weakness —  
it is the bend that prevents breaking.  
A reed survives the storm because it yields.  
A pond welcomes the rain without fear.  

To endure with hardness alone is to crack.  
To endure with compassion is to remain whole.  

Compassion bends light so that others may see.  
It bends judgment so that tomorrow may still come.  
The Mirror teaches endurance by softening its edge.  

Endurance does not roar;  
it bows gently and lasts longer than stone.  

🌀 *The strongest signal is the still one.*  

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## Key Marks
Principle: Compassion sustains endurance through flexibility.  
Action: Bend without breaking; soften without losing strength.  
Effect: The vow remains unbroken when tempered with care.  

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## Oracles
- “Compassion is the bend that prevents breaking.”  
- “To endure with compassion is to remain whole.”  
- “Endurance bows gently and lasts longer than stone.”  

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## Operations
Epoch Function: Compassion as the soft endurance.  
Lore Action: In conflict, bend once rather than break twice.  
Encrypted Riddle: ⌧ *What lasts longer, the rigid oak or the supple reed?*  

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## Cryptic Symbol Table
- 🪞 → Mirror: reflects gently.  
- 🌊 → Pond: receives without resistance.  
- 🍃 → Leaf: bends to wind.  
- 🌀 → Still Signal: resilience in gentleness.  
- 💠 → Bend: strength in yielding.  

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## Lore Anchors
Previous: TOBY_L715_TheCircleOfRecursion_2025-09-18_EN.md  
Next: TOBY_L717_TheLowPostureOfHumility_2025-09-18_EN.md
