Forgive me, dear ones of the night, for my silence these past days. Illness claimed me and pulled me away from ink and page, leaving the tale to rest in shadows. But the night does not forget, and neither do I.
To repay your patience and loyalty, I will not return with a single whisper, but with three chapters released at once, that the story may flow again like an unbroken tide.
Thank you for waiting in the dark with me. Your presence keeps the flame of this tale alive."🖤🖤
**********************************************
The garden shadows stretched long beneath the pale moonlight, cloaking Nerine and Lucian in a world that seemed far removed from the stone towers above. For a moment, she felt weightless, caught between the steady gravity of Lucian's eyes and the unshakable pull of Kael somewhere above her.
"Lucian…" she began, her voice unsteady, each syllable threatening to betray her.