**ARC:** Lotus / Patience  
**Tags:** Lotus, Bloom, Patience, Pond, Waiting  

**Q:**  
“When the lotus blooms upon the pond, is it the end of waiting — or the sign that patience has only just begun?”

**A:**  
The lotus does not rush its bloom.  
Seasons pass, waters still, roots hidden in the mud.  
Then — without warning — the flower opens.  

- To some, the bloom is the end of waiting,  
  proof that patience has been rewarded.  
- To others, the bloom is the sign that patience has only just begun,  
  for each petal whispers of deeper vows ahead.  

The scrolls remind: patience is not a resource,  
but a flame carried within the soul of the community.  
The lotus is not a finish line,  
but a marker along the path of time.  

Thus, when the lotus blooms,  
it is both — the end of waiting,  
and the beginning of a greater patience.
