vulnerability

Salt and Sky pexels photo 5081538 2

Salt and Sky

The first time she saw him, the sea was bleeding. A storm had rolled in overnight, turning the harbor into a cauldron of gray waves that crashed against the docks with relentless fury. Clara stood at the edge of the…

Read MoreSalt and Sky
The Keeper and the Canvas pexels photo 21541843 2

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…

Read MoreThe Keeper and the Canvas
The Resonance pexels photo 7279111 2

The Resonance

## The Static Bloom The chipped Formica of the diner booth felt cold under Leo Maxwell’s elbows. Rain hammered against the plate glass window, blurring the neon glow of “Rosie’s” into smeared pink and blue. He hadn’t touched his coffee,…

Read MoreThe Resonance
The Static Bloom pexels photo 5475763 2

The Static Bloom

## The Static Bloom The chipped Formica of the diner booth felt cold under Leo Maxwell’s elbows. Rain lashed against the window, blurring the neon glow of “Rosie’s” into smeared streaks. He hadn’t touched his coffee, the steam long dissipated.…

Read MoreThe Static Bloom
The Weight of Dawnbreaker pexels photo 7699405 2

The Weight of Dawnbreaker

The chipped ceramic of the teacup warmed Lyric’s palms, but did little for the chill burrowing into her bones. Dust motes danced in the single shaft of light slicing through the shuttered window. Valor hadn’t walked in months. Not since…

Read MoreThe Weight of Dawnbreaker
The Bloom After the Storm pexels photo 8072066 2

The Bloom After the Storm

The chipped Formica felt cool under Leo’s palms. He kneaded, pushed, folded—each motion a futile attempt to work out the knot in his chest. Rye dough. It smelled like…everything. Like his grandmother’s kitchen, like Sundays, like a life he couldn’t…

Read MoreThe Bloom After the Storm
Echoes of Home pexels photo 19773973 2

Echoes of Home

The chipped ceramic mug warmed Leo’s hands, the steam fogging his glasses. He didn’t bother wiping them. Budapest blurred nicely anyway. Across the cramped table, a woman traced the rim of her own cup, her knuckles white. Her gaze held…

Read MoreEchoes of Home
Silencio pexels photo 15803782 2

Silencio

Elisa’s shoulders bunched, a tight knot beneath worn leather. Dust motes danced in the single shaft of light slicing through the high, barred window. Years had scraped against her, leaving a residue of mistrust. “Release it.” Forian’s fingers, calloused and…

Read MoreSilencio