The sun hung low in the sky as Aric and Lyra sat on a weathered stone bench in a courtyard of GrailHeart. “The air floated in the coolness of the fading day, while Aric’s heart sank, heavy with quiet frustration.”
“I don’t know if I can keep doing this,” Aric confessed, his voice low. “No matter how much effort I put into my work, it never feels like enough. I pour myself into it, but in the end, it just feels… hollow.”
Lyra turned to him, her gaze steady. “Why do you think that is?” (more…)