Rafian At The Edge 15

Rafian felt the weight of existence settle on him for the first time—the knowledge that choices were not only steps but also shadows that stretched beyond the present. His village was a chain of warm days and small troubles, but it held the woman who had taught him to read the tides. This city promised opportunity and the risk of losing himself among its thousands.

“What kind?” Rafian asked.

His father’s fingers closed on the cup and left a ring on the wood. “I come back when I can,” he said. “But this place…” He searched for a word and found none that fit. “It takes what it needs. We keep what we can.” rafian at the edge 15