Chapter 76: The Quiet Confessions

The late afternoon sun filtered through the apple tree’s branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground where Conor sat in the park. It had been a few days since the war room meeting and ahe air was turning crisp with the first hints of autumn, a cool breeze rustling the oak leaves as they slowly began to turn from green to shades of gold and red.

It was a beautiful day, the kind of day that usually brought peace to his heart. But today, the beauty of nature only served as a bittersweet reminder of what he had lost, and what he was still trying to hold on to.

Conor shifted slightly on the bench beneath the tree, the worn leather journal resting on his lap. The Bayan provincial crest was embossed on the cover, a proud symbol of the land he loved.

Wrapped around the crest was the image of a dragon in flight, echoing the design of the ring he wore on his finger. The journal had become his most trusted confidant, the only place where he could be completely honest about his feelings, his