Sable The sound of a branch breaking woke me before sunrise. I sat up at once, reaching for the small knife beside me, and held my breath while I listened. The ruined house remained quiet, but I heard another movement outside, followed by the scrape of shoes against stone.Someone had entered the settlement.My body was still weak, and I knew I could not outrun anyone if the stranger meant to hurt me. I rose carefully and moved toward the doorway, keeping the knife close to my side. Through a gap in the broken wall, I saw a figure standing beside the old well.It was a woman, though I could not tell her age from where I stood. Her dark coat was torn at the sleeve, and one hand pressed against her ribs. She kept looking behind her, as if she expected someone to appear from the trees.I stepped outside but stopped several paces away. “You are on abandoned land. What are you doing here?”The woman turned sharply. When she noticed the knife in my hand, she raised both palms and took a s
Last Updated : 2026-10-11 Read more