Moving through the Flowers

The carriage rocked gently over the uneven cobblestone path, the rhythmic clatter of hooves striking the earth creating a soft, steady beat beneath the silence that hung heavily in the air.

The four passengers inside said little, the weight of the past few days thick between them like a fog that refused to lift.

Outside the window, the world rolled by in vibrant bursts of life.

Fields of wildflowers stretched endlessly along the countryside—violet asters, golden sunbursts, and soft white snowdrops swayed in the breeze.

The scent of lilac drifted in faintly through the small, open carriage window, but even that sweetness couldn’t seem to chase away the shadow that lingered in each of their expressions.

They had all accepted Councillor Hadrian’s unexpected invitation to brunch out of a shared sense of trust but they were still wary.

Inside the carriage, that unease clung to the air like mist—present, suffocating, impossible to ignore.

Max was the first to break the silence, a small,