Fine cracks spiderwebbed across the porcelain’s surface, mapping a network like dried riverbeds barely visible to the eye. Dust gathered under fingertips as one traced their paths, each groove possessing a uniform texture despite varying depths—a stillness settling over subtle differences. The act of noticing wasn't revealing something *there*, but building it anew, attention layering itself upon an unyielding material. Once vibrant patterns blurred with obscuring grime, yet the faintest trace lingered; even lost sources cast long shadows.
