The harbor town of Valmere had always lived in quiet agreement with the sea. Every morning the tide arrived like an old friend, brushing gently against the wooden docks while fishermen prepared their nets and merchants opened their small shops along the crooked streets that curved toward the coast. The town was not famous, nor was it wealthy, but it carried the calm rhythm of a place that had existed long enough to forget the noise of the wider world.
The harbor town of Valmere had always lived in quiet agreement with the sea. Every morning the tide arrived like an old friend, brushing gently against the wooden docks while fishermen prepared their nets and merchants opened their small shops along the crooked streets that curved toward the coas...