Chapter 16 Ashes Beneath The Rain

• The drizzle of rain added to the solemn atmosphere, soaking those who had gathered for Erlin’s funeral on the quiet afternoon. The gray skies wept alongside his three daughters, who clung to one another, their tears indistinguishable from the rain. Soldiers stood in formation, fists pressed to their hearts, their faces streaked with anguish they didn’t bother to hide. Daryl lingered at the edge of the ceremony, hands shoved into his coat pockets, his bionic arms a constant reminder of the price of failure. Beside him, his wife looped her arm through his, grounding him in a reality he wanted desperately to escape.
• “Erlin was a good man,” Bleak began, his voice steady despite the crackling in his throat. “To his family, to his friends, to his soldiers, and to this country. Let us not cry because he is not with us anymore. Let us be grateful because he lived.”
• “He shall forever remain in our hearts,” the crowd echoed in unison, their voices trembling.