Chapter 64
The Thread That Waits
Kaelen, Lira, Elara, and the messenger navigate a village frozen by an unanswered question, where Kaelen's refusal to speak the answer leaves the villagers suspended between waking and waiting, and the thread begins to unravel in ways none expected.
The storm gathered quickly, dark clouds rolling over the valley like a tide. Kaelen walked through the village streets, the thread cold and grey against his skin. Behind him, the hall doors hung open, the villagers spilling out into the square, their movements slow and uncertain, as if they had forgotten how to walk.
"They are waking," Lira said, her voice hushed. "But not fully."
Kaelen looked at the people. Their eyes were open, but there was a distance in them, a fog that had not lifted. They moved like sleepwalkers, brushing past one another without recognition, their hands reaching for things they did not grasp.
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