Dealing with Shadows

Life, Career

During the summer solstice Festival of Masks, young Nilus Nemec found a rare moment of belonging amid the songs, painted faces, and games of Guthram—joining his cousins in a ramshackle retelling of the tale of Revel and the Theft of Sorrow, and later spending a golden, unforgettable day in the woods with his sister Nadja, fishing, foraging, and dreaming of life beyond the village. But the warmth of that day gave way to something darker when Nilus discovered a wounded outlaw hiding in the family stables—an encounter that tested his loyalty, cunning, and courage. Choosing secrecy over duty, Nilus helped the fugitive escape the Baron's patrols, unknowingly forging a bond with a shadowy figure —an act that would mark the quiet beginning of a more dangerous life.