Chapter 4 — Beneath the Mask

Caleb

The cold bite of the morning breeze found its way into Caleb Thorn's quarters, slipping through the cracks of the timber frames and brushing against his skin like an unwelcome memory. He stood on the stone balcony outside his room, his broad shoulders taut and his hands gripping the damp wooden railing. From his vantage point, he could see nearly the entire stronghold—the stone walls of Thornkeep rising like bastions of tradition, the narrow paths winding through the village below, and, farther out, the dark expanse of the forest.