Quiet months passed like a dream wrapped in mist. The port city of Assab had become a beacon of life and renewal. Khisa, ever tireless, found himself lost in the rhythm of duty—training sailors at dawn, overseeing the construction of ships by midday, reviewing maps and blueprints by sunset. But even amidst the grind of war preparation, something softer had taken root in his life.
Azenet.
Every morning after his drills and every evening before the sun dipped too low, she would find him. Sometimes with tea, other times with honey bread and sweet words. They'd walk along the length of the port together, past former slaves now apprenticed as carpenters, smiths, and sailors—men and women learning freedom one task at a time.
