Harborbend, Northwyn Republic
Warm sunlight poured through the window, casting a golden glow over the tidy desk. Lilies bloomed on the windowsill, their soft fragrance drifting through the room.
Evelyn sat at her desk, grading student assignments. In a simple sweater, her hair neatly pulled
back, she radiated calm focus.
Through years of relentless self–study, she had earned a place in the graduate program at Prescott University, Northwyn Republic’s top institution.
After graduating, she returned to Harborbend as a beloved community college teacher. Her days were simple but deeply satisfying, filled with purpose and quiet fulfillment.
She had turned down Nathan Reed.
He was kind and dependable, yet the cold corner of her heart refused to soften. She had found
peace in solitude, channeling her energy into teaching and reading.
Occasionally, she wrote short articles, some of which were published in local papers, earning her a quiet reputation as a writer.
Evelyn had moved beyond her pain, discovering strength in her own worth. Her eyes were clear,
her smile gentle–a quiet radiance born of hardship, tempered into calm and strength.
Frosthaven, Northwyn Republic
The wind screamed, cutting like a knife against the skin.
At over sixteen thousand feet, Frosthaven Base stood isolated from the world.
Graham, bundled in a heavy military coat, raised binoculars to his eyes, staring at the endless snow–draped mountains.
Frost clung to his temples, his face etched with time, but his gaze remained sharp as an eagle’s. Beneath that piercing clarity, however, lay an emptiness–endless, cold, and unbearably lonely.
After leaving Harborbend, he had volunteered for Frosthaven Base, Northwyn Republic’s most grueling and perilous outpost.
He stayed over a decade, growing silent and pouring himself into defending the border.
He led his soldiers through patrols, training, and base construction, earning accolades and rising through the ranks. His stature grew, but happiness remained out of reach.
Chapter 23
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He never remarried.
In his nightstand drawer were only two things: a yellowed copy of Pride and Prejudice, a book they had cherished during their marriage, and a faded photograph of her at eighteen, taken the day they had pledged their lives to each other.
In the photo, her eyes were shy but full of trust and love.
Every year, on her birthday and the anniversary of their divorce–a date burned into his memory
-he stood alone at the base’s highest lookout, facing Harborbend.
Through the night, he remained unmoving, snow and wind lashing at him, a sentinel frozen in
place.
He lived trapped in regret and longing, guarding the land he had failed and mourning the love he had destroyed.
Harborbend, a spring afternoon
The sun glowed warmly as Evelyn sat with her students on the campus lawn, leading a book club.
A faint memory of him flickered in her mind, but she let it pass, smiling as she listened to the
young adults‘ lively discussions, her eyes warm and bright.
Frosthaven, Christmas Eve
Outside, the world was a frozen wasteland, but inside the base, warm lights flickered as soldiers
bustled, preparing a holiday banquet.
Graham stood alone at his post, gazing at the distant, dazzling fireworks. He clutched the faded photograph, his eyes lost in an endless sea of silence and sorrow.
Some mistakes could never be undone.
Some losses were permanent.
The deepest wound wasn’t in reclaiming what was lost–it was in living with an absence that could never be replaced.
Chapter 1 The king has come back!
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