Novel

Chapter 2: What the Workshop Will Not Say

Mara and Asha verify the ledger scrap against the workshop books and discover the missing line is a deliberate route mark tied to an old inland transfer path. The port office confirms the route is already in play and logs Mara’s inquiry, proving Dorian’s side is watching through official channels. Back at the refuge, Mara tries to keep the household from scattering while Elder Tomas reveals the house once hid records from official hands. Asha opens another hidden seam, and when Mara reads the route aloud, someone outside realizes she is no longer searching quietly.