The air inside Vera's Tavern was thick with warmth, laughter, and the scent of well-cooked food. The once-abandoned shell of a building had transformed into the heart of the Shadow Kingdom's growing community, a place where warriors, builders, merchants, and travelers alike could gather.
Long wooden tables were packed with workers fresh from the construction sites, their faces alight with the satisfaction of a day's hard labor. Soldiers from the Shadow Knights drank alongside farmers, and traders exchanged stories of the outside world over plates of steaming venison and freshly baked bread.
For the first time in a long time, the people of the Shadow Kingdom had more than just a temporary shelter—they had home.
