Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Bond We Buried : Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 14

 The hall is buzzing. Every inch of space is filled—council members in ceremonial robes, high-ranking warriors in crisp uniforms, family heads in tailored finery. There’s tension beneath the civility, a collective breath being held. It reminds me of the stillness before a storm. My hands rest neatly at my sides, but my fingers tremble just enough for me to notice. I flex them, trying to force stillness into my body. I feel Ronan to my right, silent but steady, and my father’s presence on my left like a wall of heat and authority. My mother stands slightly behind, watching everything with careful eyes. Across the room, Lila gives me a soft smile, as if trying to reach me through the distance. I nod faintly back. I appreciate her—her quiet loyalty, her ability to read my silence—but no one can anchor me

The woods are quieter this time.Not silent, but still — like the forest is holding its breath as I walk the winding path to the elder’s cottage. Sunlight filters through the canopy in patches of gold, illuminating moss-covered stones and the dust motes that dance around me. It feels less like I’m visiting a place and more like I’m being called back.I don’t knock. I don’t need to.The door creaks open before I reach it, and she’s there — standing in the soft shadow of her threshold, wrapped in a shawl the color of moonlight, her eyes already knowing.“You came back,” she says gently, as if she’d never doubted it.“I wasn’t sure if I would,” I admit, stepping into the familiar scent of herbs and firewood. “But something… something’s been off. I feel like I’ve lost something. Like I’m only half here.”She doesn’t respond right away. She merely motions for me to sit at the same spot by the hearth as before. A kettle hums in the background, and the same wind chimes tap softly like distan