Chapter 33: The City of Magnolia
The first breath of dawn kissed the edges of the world, spilling hues of pale gold and rose across the distant sky. The carriage wheels clattered steadily against the cobblestone road, each turn of the wheel echoing the weight of our mission — the first true mission I’d ever embark on. The air was cold, crisp, and sharp enough to sting my lungs when I inhaled. Mist hung low over the plains, clinging to the tips of wild grass that swayed like ghostly fingers in the morning breeze.
We had been on the road since midnight, and the fatigue from the journey pressed faintly behind my eyelids, but my heart refused to rest. There was a thrum beneath my skin — anxiety, perhaps, or anticipation. I leaned against the window of the carriage and watched as the spires o
