IX — The Hermit (L’Hermite)

Wrapped in a dark cloak and turned from the world, he lifts a lantern whose single star-flame lights only the next step. The staff steadies him; the field of flowers he leaves behind. The Hermit is withdrawal with a purpose — solitude sought not to escape but to hear yourself think. He asks you to slow down, look inward, and trust your own quiet counsel. The light he carries is his to share, once he has found it.