114 - Guilt intensified

As the sun dipped below the horizon after beta Liam was gone, casting long shadows across the rugged landscape. Eskaal stood alone at the edge of the terrace, gazing out at the fading light over the vast expanse. His mind was a continuously moving sea of thoughts, each wave crashing against the shores of his conscience. Liam's departure had left a thoughful echoing emptiness, a void that he wasn't sure how to fill. And Meagia… her image lingered in his mind like a fragile wisp of smoke, weaving through the corners of his thoughts.

He clenched his fists, the rough fabric of his cloak rustling softly in the evening breeze. In hindsight, he couldn't shake the gnawing regret that now haunted his heart. “My decision to send Meagia back to her own brother had been swift.” Driven by a mixture of worry for her safety and a perceived sense of duty. But now, as the weight of solitude bore down on him