Chapter 43: Silent but Loud

Rian sat at the long dining table, his eyes tracing the familiar patterns of the finely carved wood beneath his hands. The soft crackle of the hearth in the corner of the room barely registered in his mind as he stared blankly ahead, the world around him blurring. The grand chandelier above cast a soft, warm light over the room, but to him, it felt cold, like a relic of a time long gone. The room felt somewhat quiet now, somewhat empty.

He sat in his usual seat at the head of the table, his back straight, hands resting on the arms of the chair as though he was ready to command the room and then, listen to someone speak. But there was no one left to command. His thoughts drifted, pulling him back to the days when this same table had been filled with the laughter and conversations of those he held dear.