Asher’s POV

The weight of uncertainty had been crushing us for weeks. Our father, a man who had ruled with an iron fist and commanded respect and fear alike, had disappeared without a trace. For three weeks, we had searched. Three weeks of dead ends, false leads, and sleepless nights. The house felt clean and calm without his dominating presence, though the tension he left behind was palpable. 

Tonight, we gathered on the rooftop, a rare sanctuary from the chaos below. The evening breeze ...