The Dust of Yesterday
The sun hung low over the Sierra Nevada, casting long shadows across the dusty streets of Silver Creek. Clara Voss stepped off the wagon, her boots crunching on gravel as she scanned the town. The air smelled of pine resin…
Redemption
Read MoreThe Dust of Yesterday
The Gilded Dust
The sun hung low over the Sierra Nevada, casting long shadows across the cracked earth of Mariposa Valley. Elias Voss tightened his grip on the reins, his calloused fingers brushing against the coarse leather as his horse, Bane, snorted at…
Ashes of the Forgotten
The air reeked of pine resin and sweat as Sarah Hayes stepped off the wagon, her boots crunching over gravel. The town of Red Creek sprawled before her, a patchwork of sagging wooden buildings and smoldering bonfires. She adjusted her…
The Shattered Crown
The air reeked of iron and ash as Kael dragged his blade from the mud, its edge chipped from the clash. The battlefield sprawled behind him—skeletal trees, half-buried wagons, the shattered remains of a dozen banners. He wiped blood from…
The Dust and the Dawn
The sun hung low over the Sierra Nevada, casting long shadows across the cracked earth as Clara Voss dismounted her chestnut mare. The air smelled of pine resin and distant rain, a scent that clung to her like a memory…
The Last Light of the Duskforge
The air in the library reeked of dust and burnt parchment, a stench that clung to Kael’s skin like a second layer. His fingers, calloused from years of handling brittle pages, trembled as they traced the faded script on the…
The Last Flame of Virell
The air reeked of smoke and iron as Kael dragged the anvil across the forge floor, its weight grating against the stone like a dying beast. Sweat dripped from his brow, mingling with soot to streak his cheeks. The hammer…
The Last Light of Summer
The first time Clara saw the lighthouse, it was shrouded in fog, its white tower bleeding into the gray sky like a ghost. She stood at the edge of the dock, her boots soaked from the tide, and felt the…
The Dust and the Dawn
The sun hung low over the mesa, casting long shadows across the cracked earth as Jace traced the faded trail through the sagebrush. His boots crunched over gravel, each step a reminder of the miles behind him and the ones…
The Gilded Veil
The city of Varethis breathed through its spires, a labyrinth of copper pipes and soot-streaked stone that hummed with the weight of secrets. Kael moved like a shadow between the alleys, his boots silent on the damp cobblestones, the scent…
The Ember of Avaris
The sun dipped below the jagged peaks of the Obsidian Range, casting the city of Avaris into a twilight that never ended. Kaela wiped soot from her hands, the acrid tang of molten iron sharp in her nostrils. The forge’s…
Dust and Ember
Clara Hartman stepped off the stagecoach in Redding, California, her boots crunching on gravel as the sun beat down like a hammer. The air reeked of dust and coal smoke, a sharp contrast to the pine-scented breeze she’d known in…
The Iron Heart of Clara Voss
Clara Voss wiped her hands on a greasy rag, the scent of oil and burnt coal clinging to her skin like a second layer. The camp was a fever dream of dust and noise—hammers clanging, voices rising in a cacophony…
The Keeper and the Canvas
The salt-kissed air bit at Clara’s cheeks as she adjusted the lamp’s wick, its golden glow slicing through the predawn gloom. The lighthouse had been her sanctuary since her father’s death, a place where the roar of the sea drowned…
Salt and Sky
Clara stepped off the ferry, the salt-heavy air stinging her cheeks as she pulled her coat tighter. The dock creaked under her boots, a sound she hadn’t heard in ten years but recognized instantly. The town hadn’t changed—same weathered planks,…