Before unease settled and shadows deepened, there was Kinlan, a village bound by tradition. But as autumn arrived, so did unsettling signs – bold wolves, an early frost, and warnings of judgment. Amidst this growing disquiet, Malak Crosswell, a man with a guarded past, feels the peace of Kinlan tremble, while his son Galot's gaze drifts towards a wider world. The stillness is breaking, and the first seeds of doubt have taken root, hinting at a future no one yet foresees.
"The air in Kinlan thickened as summer surrendered to autumn, heavy with the scent of sun-warmed earth and the brittle rustle of drying crops. It was a fragrance the villagers knew well, a tether to the rhythms they trusted as steadfastly as the dawn. Yet this year, something else lingered—faint, restless weight that draped itself over the valley like a shadow no one could name."
"For Malak, these signs stirred memories he'd locked away. A man of steady hands and quiet faith, he'd built his life in Kinlan's soil, raising his family amid its rhythms. In his youth, he'd glimpsed the world's sharper edges—moments of chaos he rarely spoke of... As a father, he bore the unspoken burden of shielding his own, especially his son Galot, whose eyes often drifted to the road beyond the village. Malak felt the weight of that gaze, the pull of a horizon he couldn't guard against."
Coming soon: Reflections, background, and thoughts from the trail.
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