"Ah, I'll be damned..."
Nathaniel muttered beneath his breath, his face twisting into an annoyed scowl as he sat quietly beside a vast lake whose waters shimmered with an unusual emerald-green hue.
The lake wasn't located within the boundaries of the Hayes Estate.
Instead, it rested several miles away in a peaceful rural region where the world seemed blissfully unaware of the conflicts brewing elsewhere.
Tall coconut trees lined the banks, their slender trunks swaying lazily beneath the afternoon breeze while their long leaves rustled softly overhead.
The air carried the scent of fresh water and damp earth, accompanied only by the occasional chirping of birds hidden among the trees.
It was the sort of place where one could forget about politics, war, and responsibilities, even if only for a little while.
