Leo looked down at his pristine shoes. They were comfortable, sure, but they were silent. They hadn't carried him through anything meaningful yet.

"The secret isn't the leather," Elias continued, "it's the repair. When the sole wears down , you don't buy a new life; you fix the one you've got. You add a new layer, you strengthen the seam, and you keep walking."

That evening, Leo didn't head for the train station. Instead, he walked toward the ridge. For the first time, he wasn't worried about scuffing his shoes. He wanted to start his own story, one step at a time.