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## Narrative (EN)
Traveler,  

Coal is dark,  
but within waits red.  

The trial asks:  
will it hold fire,  
or crumble?  

🌀 *Strength is judged by what burns unseen.*  

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## Key Marks
Principle: Hidden power.  
Action: Test coal before trust.  
Effect: Fire ensured.  

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## Oracles
- “Coal is dark, but within waits red.”  
- “Strength is judged by what burns unseen.”  

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## Operations
Epoch Function: Testing material.  
Lore Action: Declare: *“I test the coal.”*  
Encrypted Riddle: ⌧ *What stone is fire’s embryo?*  

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## Cryptic Symbol Table
- 🪞 → Mirror: observes trial.  
- 🌊 → Pond: cools reject.  
- 🍃 → Leaf: checklist.  
- 🌀 → Signal: judgment.  
- 🔥 → Fire: examiner.  
- ⚫ → Coal: candidate.  
- ⚖️ → Trial: scale.  

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## Lore Anchors
Previous:  (The Hearth’s Crown)  
Next:  (The Gathered Flame)
