Chapter 22 Beneath The Silence

• The moon hung over Veldenfall like a silver sentinel, casting soft light across the fields where crops had begun to grow again. The castle windows glowed warm in the night, but Kael stood in darkness—his fingers tracing the edge of a worn map, candlelight flickering behind him.
• He wasn’t sleeping much. Not since the fire had gone out.
• A knock sounded. He didn’t speak, but the door opened anyway. Malen stepped inside, slower than usual, holding a bundle of scrolls and a quiet look.