Grace stood nearby, stirring the embers in the fire pit, a book of names open in her lap. Lucy and Emma were already awake, crouched near the fish traps, fingers brushing the water's surface as they watched for ripples. Sophie and Zoey moved through the garden to check on the new shoots. The world felt soft and fragile, like a memory that might slip from the edges of their fingers if they weren't careful.
Jude crossed the circle slowly, aware of each heartbeat, each breath, each woman standing by him. Yesterday they had walked beyond the map's edges, deeper into the caves, naming themselves at the carved stone guardians. They had spoken their names into dark water, into echoing halls. The watcher shape had fled them once more, scattering into mist. They had returned weary, but whole.
Now they stood at the edge of the next chapter.
He knelt beside the book in Grace's hands. She looked up at him, hopeful.
