Suraia woke to the hush and rush of waves, the sound of water lapping just beyond the cave’s mouth. She blinked into the pale morning, feeling for the first time in days a true, bone-deep warmth—a rare gift after so much cold and fear. Her limbs were heavy with exhaustion, but not pain; she was […]
Tag Archives: Thorn
The Outcasts 3: Into Deep Waters
The morning dawned clear and cold—the world scrubbed raw, the violence of the storm swept away as if it had never been. For the first time since the wreck, sunlight slanted through the trees, painting long golden bars across the cave floor, igniting the green in the moss and the faded brown of driftwood. The […]
The Outcasts 2: Shelter from the Storm
Darkness pressed in. Suraia was running—through endless alleyways, rain pelting her face, boots splashing through muddy puddles. Shadows pressed close, warped by memory and fear. “Heretic!” “Witch! Her hands—did you see them glow?” “Keep her away from my child!” Faces swirled, half-seen in the downpour, their eyes bright with suspicion and something colder—disgust. The red […]