Chapter 103: Shadows Beneath the Lanterns
Ronan chuckled at Sam's remark, the sound rolling low from his chest.
"You really didn't listen to Orion's words earlier, did you?" he asked, tilting his head at Sam. "The festival isn't just about remembrance. It's about surviving it. Moving on. We honor our dead, but we're still here. We're all good now."
He gestured with one broad hand to the glowing square around them, to the clusters of people laughing quietly, trading stories under banners strung high above. "Our families don't have to worry about us anymore. That's what tonight is about. The fact that we survived, the fact that we endured every hardship thrown our way."
"You sure you don't want to climb the dias and make a speech too?" Tobias asked Ronan.
"Do you not remember how much of a disaster that was the last time he did it?" Sam asked with curved lips.
