The days that followed settled into a gentle rhythm.With each sunrise, the ruins of Blackthorn looked a little less like the kingdom that had fallen and a little more like the kingdom it was becoming. The sounds of chisels striking stone blended with birdsong, and the scent of fresh-cut timber replaced the stale smell of dust that had lingered over the valley for centuries.For Nova, the change was almost unbelievable.The first time she had entered Blackthorn, she had walked through broken halls filled with ancient secrets and echoes of forgotten lives.Now, those same halls echoed with laughter.Children raced between stacks of carved stone, pretending to be Guardian knights while their parents called after them. Merchants had begun setting up small market stalls near the eastern gate, selling bread, fruit, woven cloth, pottery, and handmade jewelry to the workers rebuilding the city.Life had returned.Not because someone had ordered it to.Because people had chosen it.Nova spent
Read more