The gate to my old home was nothing but two charred posts sticking out of the frozen earth.I walked through them just after midday, my boots crunching against the hard ground. Kael was behind me, his steps slow and deliberate to keep his side from burning, his hands deep in his pockets. He did not try to guide me. He did not tell me where to look or what to avoid. He stayed three paces back, letting me face the ruins alone.The main hall of Silvercrest was gone, replaced by a heap of black, scorched timbers that had fallen in on themselves. The only thing left standing was the great stone chimney, its square columns rising thirty feet into the cold sky like a headstone. The wind whistled through the empty hearth, blowing dry leaves and black dirt across the stones where my family had once gathered to eat.I walked to the center of the ruin, my coat flapping against my knees. The smell of the fire was still there, buried deep in the charred wood, a bitter, smoky scent that filled my n
Last Updated : 2026-05-25 Read more