Asher's gaze swept over the broken and cracked buildings, their fractured walls seeming as though they could collapse at any moment under the weight of their own decay. Dust clung to their surfaces, and faint echoes of a once-thriving town seemed to linger in the air.
The carriage pushed forward with a steady rhythm, wheels creaking over the uneven road.
From the shadowed mouths of narrow alleys, children stood watching, their faces pale and eyes wide. Some merely stood still, silent observers of the world around them, while others sat on weathered steps, their attention fixed on the passing carriages with an unreadable mixture of wonder and weariness.
Asher did not speak; instead, he simply observed in silence. His sharp eyes missed nothing, the small movements of the children, the faded colors of the buildings, the faint scent of damp earth.
