He turned and looked down.
Far below, the small houses of Carranglan rested quietly, scattered like forgotten toys. Thin streams of smoke curled into the sky as families began their morning routines—cooking rice, boiling water, preparing for another long day in the fields.
Life was moving on down there.
But up here…
Time felt paused.
Five years ago, Roger had walked this same road filled with something very different.
Hope.
Back then, every step had been lighter. Faster. Driven by belief.
He had been thirty-four—young enough to trust that effort always led somewhere, that dreams built with hard work could not fail. He had come back to his hometown with a plan, one that felt solid, practical, and full of promise.
Raise pigs. Thirty of them.
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