Chapter 96 Between The Ripples

• I stand at the window, my gaze flickering to the lake as the morning sun reflects off its surface, scattering diamonds across waters so still they mirror the clouds above. I’ve been watching Isaak make yet another round of the property—his fourth since sunrise. His movements are as precise and methodical as I’d expect from one one of Efrem’s most trusted men. But there’s something different about him here, about all of them.
• Maybe it’s the way Matvey hums while he cooks. Or how Isaak’s usual stern expression softens when he pauses to watch birds take flight from the lakeside.
• They all seem so much more… human here.