As the Federal Reserve prepares to announce its interest rate decision, gold has begun its familiar ascent — a quiet signal that markets are bracing for uncertainty. The precious metal has long served as humanity's hedge against the erosion of confidence, rising when the cost of holding something that earns nothing feels smaller than the cost of trusting something that might. In these liminal hours before a central bank speaks, gold does not predict the future so much as it reflects the collective anxiety of those who cannot know it.