spoken word narration, male voice, storytelling delivery, calm and slightly melancholic tone, no singing, no melodic vocal line, 70–76 BPM, minimal piano arpeggios, soft cello swells, ambient textures, very low music volume (music never louder than the voice), long reverb for intimate atmosphere, cinematic but restrained, emotional yet understated, sparse arrangement, no drums, no heavy bass, no choral parts