## Salt & Sky The courier’s hands trembled as he presented the package. Wax-sealed, thick parchment bound with crimson string – a weighty declaration from Venice. Cardinal Bellini accepted it with an almost theatrical sigh, beckoning Signor Rossi closer. The…
## Crimson Threads The salt spray stung Marco’s cheeks as he leaned against the railing of *La Volpe*, his small trading galley slicing through the Adriatic. Dusk bled across the water, painting the sky a bruised purple above the Venetian…
## The Glass & the Ghost Light The chipped enamel of Esme’s mug warmed her palms. Rain lashed against the corrugated iron roof, a drumbeat mirroring the thrum in her skull. She traced the hairline fracture spiderwebbing across the porcelain,…