As per the question, the given excerpt from 'Heart of a Samurai' functions to keep the readers engaged in the story as 'it creates suspense.' <u>It provides interesting yet mysterious descriptions like 'black current', 'voice..dark as water', 'wide strip indigo water...usually followed north...flowed southeast' that assists in the advancing the tension and confusion of the readers and leave them uncertain about what would happen next</u>. This further enhances the audience's inquisitiveness and keeps their interest intact.
Falling action refers to the events that follow the climax of a story. While rising action builds tension throughout the story, falling action decreases that tension. It leads to the character's ultimate resolution.
