## The Architect of Echoes Rain lashed against the panoramic window, blurring the neon smear of Neo-Manhattan. Elias Thorne traced a finger across the condensation, the chill mirroring the tremor in his hand. His studio wasn’t opulent – functional steel…
## The Inheritance of Frost The snow fell like shredded silk, blanketing Blackwood Estate in a deceptive tranquility. General Silas Thorne watched it drift past his study window, the fire crackling a defiant orange against the encroaching white. He adjusted…
The rain hammered the redwood cliffs, a relentless percussion against the grey sea. Steam curled from the copper tubs overflowing with fragrant herbs and bruised berries at Blackwood Springs. Inside, Silas traced circles on the condensation-slicked glass with a calloused…