Chapter 76 — Shadows in the Chord
The song of Moonshadow Ridge was beautiful again.
Too beautiful.
It wound through the trees, the rivers, the hearts of the people like silver thread—glimmering, delicate, flawless. Yet to Arin, it sounded wrong.
It was perfect in a way that no true melody should ever be.
And that frightened him more than any storm or war ever had.
The Subtle Discord
He walked the ridge path at dawn, the mist curling around his boots like breath. Birds sang softly in the distance, their tones echoing the same rhythm that now pulsed through the land.
He hummed it under his breath without thinking. Then he stopped—midway through the second verse—and realized something horrifying.
He didn’t remember learning that verse.
He pressed a hand to his temple. “I didn’t… wri
