Ticking noise, 383, can't locate the source

Oriented correctly, and everything kept in order of removal.
Slap was me being funny, or not I guess.

Retainer does not have a crack, or wear.
I noticed that the second I took the pick, it's just the flash of the camera on an oily surface. I was going for the best pic of the valve.

I don't see any wear on any of the retainers, and no wear on the rockers other than where they contact the valve, pushrod, and shaft.

Springs are not broken, inner or outer.

I really don't think the red circles are cracks. I've looked at them extremely close, nothing on the other side, unable to pull apart and expose a crack, they don't retain any oil after being wiped with a cloth, tried an led light on both sides in the dark.

On the one in the pic, it is slightly higher on one side, by the smallest amount, barely measurable, it looks folded over.
My thought is if it was cracking the higher material would have to be displaced from the other side.

Besides, the same roughness, crack looking, folded over material is also along the top edges, I doubt they're splitting in two.

I've studied these parts for days, nights, taking pics and looking at them at work, I cannot find any signs of abnormal wear, cracks, broken or bent parts, metal shavings, nothing.

I'm thinking I missed an exhaust leak, but yet it didn't sound like that really, and I can't find anything wrong with the headers.