tūm (pronounced /tuːm/) — “then,” “at that moment”; here, a glance back at what once was and the moments that shaped the beginning.

mŏdō (pronounced /ˈmɔ.doː/) — “just now,” “only now”; a grounding in the present, the point of clarity from which everything is assessed.

postĕā (pronounced /ˈpɔs.tɛ.aː/) — “afterward,” “later on”; a...