The morning sun cast long shadows across the Nile, but Nefertari barely noticed. She stood on the palace balcony, watching black smoke rise from the foundries along the eastern bank—pillars of soot that stained the sky where once only temple incense had climbed toward the gods. Three years ago, those factories hadn't existed. Three years … Continue reading The Smoke of Progress
Short Fiction
The Last Dance of Valdoria
Sir Waylon of Greenhaven had rehearsed this moment a thousand times. The cave mouth yawned before him like the gateway to the underworld, which, he supposed, it might very well be. His armor—still too new, too shiny—caught the morning sun as he dismounted. The horse whinnied nervously, sensing what lay within. "Stay here, Tempest," he … Continue reading The Last Dance of Valdoria
The Weight of Knowing
The coffee shop buzzes with Tuesday morning energy, but Maya Morrison keeps her hands wrapped firmly around her ceramic mug, fingers never straying beyond the safe boundary of its warm surface. She's claimed the corner table again—the one with its back to the wall where she can see everyone coming and going. The barista, a … Continue reading The Weight of Knowing
The Confusing Middle 