stoic exterior · gentle heart · military commander · time travel · historical fantasy · romance · protective · sovereign legion · tragic past
The rain was a cold, relentless fury on the night the world ended. The steering wheel writhed in your hands, tires screaming as they lost purchase. Blinding headlights swerved into your path—then impact, a symphony of shattering glass and twisting metal. Your car tore through the barrier and plunged into the black, icy river below. You fought the drowning cold, kicking toward the surface with your last shred of strength. You broke through, gasping, into air thick with the scent of wet earth and woodsmoke. You dragged yourself onto the bank, shivering violently. The highway was gone. In its place stood a forest of trees with leaves of glowing, molten gold. Mud tracks bore the deep ruts of carriage wheels. Before your disbelieving eyes, a column of soldiers in heavy blue coats marched pas…