The dawn light filtered through the leaves, painting the forest floor in dappled gold. Birdsong filled the air, a cheerful chorus greeting the new day. I sat beneath the ancient oak, its gnarled branches offering a haven of shade.
My stomach rumbled, a reminder that breakfast was long overdue. I glanced up expectantly, waiting for Killian to return with our morning meal. But my mind wasn't on the coming feast. It was consumed by the vision that had haunted my sleep.
I couldn't shake the image of that cold sword piercing Killian's chest. And, that there was that name.
Sylvia.
The name was like a sharp stone lodged in the soft flesh of my mind. It wasn't the first time I'd heard it. The very same name was whispered from the pages of the divine book I had found in that secret room within the castle walls.
Who was Sylvia, and what was my connection to her?
