Standalone
What the Darkness Kept
Built to destroy. Retired to grow pears. Not as hidden as he thought.
He settles his neighbors' arguments and tends his orchard, and the war he was made for is a long time gone. Then someone from the capital starts asking questions about the district, and the answers keep pointing toward something that should not still exist.
~75,000 words 22 chapters Secondary-world Roman Empire
redemption shame forgiveness identity