Ayla woke before dawn,old habits never truly disappeared,for a few quiet moments, she lay still beneath the blankets, listening to the familiar sounds of Black Hollow waking around her,the distant crow of a rooster,the soft rustle of wind through the trees,footsteps outside her cabin as early risers began their day.Home.
The thought came so naturally now that it no longer startled her.Five years ago, she had arrived in Black Hollow broken, exhausted, and carrying nothing but grief.
Now, she knew every path in the village.
Every famil,every child who raced through the square,every elder who complained about the weather.Black Hollow had become more than a place she stayed.
It had become home,Ayla sat up slowly and stretched.
Something felt different,important,she frowned,what was she fo
