Chapter 121: The Unbroken CircleThe first autumn frost had settled over the quiet hills of South Amboy, dusting the dark wooden piers of the secondary berth in a shimmering coat of ice. The morning air was sharp, still, and tasted of cold salt spray, marsh grass, and clean sea breeze.Avery stood at the end of the long wooden dock, her leather boots planted on the frost-tinted planks. She wore her dark slate wool coat buttoned to the chin against the coastal chill, her hands tucked deep into her pockets where her grandfather’s vintage silver stopwatch rested against her fingers.Out in the open channel, a medium-capacity container barge moved through the glassy water. There were no flashing warning lights, no shouting dock workers, and no emergency overrides chiming on a handheld device. The automated crane arms on the newly renovated pier swung through the crisp air with silent, perfectly calibrated precision, picking up a heavy steel container and setting it down on the berth wi
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