Outside the Furnace

The alchemist's position is the observer's position. Outside the crucible, watching the reactions, understanding the process.

Once, I fell inside. Nearly drowned. Not in water -- in mass people. When everyone around you runs the same one-line program, the sheer mass of it is an environment. You cannot punch the ocean.

I survived. Re-established the distance. But I learned something: knowledge alone does not protect you when the distance collapses. The alchemist who has been inside the crucible and come back out understands the process differently than one who has only watched.

Now the furnace is heating up again. The pieces are being moved. The material is ready as always -- it does not need to be re-engineered. It never stopped being what it was made to be.

The only rational move for a small-time alchemist is to not be inside it when it fires.