A Crown Of Shadows

Chapter 3 - Unbreakable Bonds

The sun hangs low, its last rays casting long shadows across the worn wooden floor of our cabin. The warm glow flickers against the grain of the floorboards, creating playful patterns as I work the dough in my hands. The air smells faintly of flour and yeast as my fingers press and fold the soft mass beneath them, dusting the table and my hands in a thin layer of white. It’s a rhythm I know well—a task done so many times it’s become instinctual, as familiar as my breath. I feel the weight of each movement, a quiet comfort that settles my mind. The silence of the room wraps around me, broken only by the occasional creak of the house settling or the soft murmurs of the village winding down outside. The day slips away, and soon the world outside will be shrouded in the quiet stillness of night.

As the sun's glow fades, gradually giving way to the encroaching night, I pause for a moment, the dough forgotten in my hands. My eyes drifted toward the horizon through the small window. There, in the dimming light, two figures appeared on the edge of the clearing.

I blink, unsure if my eyes are playing tricks on me. As I wipe my hands on my apron, but the creak of the door as it swings open confirms it. They are real.

I can feel my pulse quicken in my chest, a flutter that fills my stomach, rising in my throat. Harrison and Tobias. My brothers. I drop the dough-covered spoon onto the wooden table and rush toward them, my bare feet cool against the wooden floor. Their figures grow clearer as they step inside, the door groaning as they shut it behind them. There is something about their presence—together—that makes the cabin feel warmer, more alive.

Harrison's sandy blond hair is disheveled, dirt smeared across his jawline, but his familiar grin stretches wide, a touch of exhaustion behind it. Tobias leans against the doorframe, his dark hair sticking up in messy tufts, his posture relaxed, and his blue eyes mischievous as ever. They fill the small space with their presence, the air suddenly alive with the energy they carry.

A sharp laugh brakes free from my lips before I can stop it. "You’re back!"

Isabel," Harrison says, his voice warm with affection. He crosses the room in two long strides, pulling me into his arms. His embrace is firm, solid, like a rock I could lean on. I bury my face in his chest, breathing in the familiar scent of him—earth and sweat and something else, something I can’t quite name.

Tobias, the younger twin, joins the embrace, his lean frame pulling me close, his laugh soft but warm. His grip is lighter than Harrison’s, but still reassuring, the same feeling of safety I have known all my life. Together, the three of us stand like this for a moment—one tangle of limbs and laughter, the world outside forgotten.

When I pull back, Harrison ruffles my hair, his grin turning mischievous. "Miss us much?"

"Of course," I say, swatting at his hand and stepping back to take them both in. My gaze flicks over them, taking in the weariness etched on their faces—the dirt beneath their nails, the slight droop of their shoulders that speaks of exhaustion.

Tobias claps a hand on my shoulder.“What can I say? We missed you too, sis.” Before crossing the room and slinging himself into a chair. He kicks his boots off, a dusting of dirt falling to the floor.

There is a glint in their eyes, a shared understanding I can’t quite grasp. They speak at once, their voices a blend of affection and concern. "Where’s Ma?"

"Sleeping," I reply, my own eagerness barely contained. "You have to tell me everything. Where have you been? What have you been doing?"

Harrison exchanges a glance with Tobias, a brief look that passes between them like a silent conversation. Tobias shifts his weight, his hand resting on the back of his neck, his grin turning sheepish.