Eclipsed – K Murphy

The next one earned a faint, aching smile. “Mira. She’d steal my bread and hide it under her pillow because she thought I’d starve if I didn’t eat in the morning.” Finally, her fingers settled on the last. “And Rowan… he was the fastest runner in the village. We’d race to the stream.

I never won.” She gave a shaky breath. “He was eleven.” Her hands stayed on that last grave a long moment. “It doesn’t get easier,” she murmured. “No,” I said, my voice low, rough. “It doesn’t.” Her eyes flicked to me, then away again. “The apothecary from Solavend found me the next morning. Took me in. I haven’t been back here in years.”

We stayed there in the cold, the wind moving softly through the skeletal trees, before she finally straightened. Her gaze swept over each grave again, deliberate, as though memorizing them all over. When she stepped away, I fell into step beside her. We didn’t speak on the walk back, but she walked closer this time, her arm brushing mine once in a while. The graves vanished behind us, swallowed by frost and shadow — but the weight of them clung to her like it had just happened.

The village sleeps, but it’s the kind of sleep that’s too thin to be trusted. I can hear it in the way the shutters twitch in the wind, in the hollow knock of a loose latch against warped wood. The air holds the crisp bite of late autumn—cold enough to make the lungs sting on the inhale, but not yet winter’s knife.

I linger in the shadow of a leaning wall, watching the loft window of the hall. A low light spills out—faint, steady. She’s up there. Awake, maybe. Or lying still, eyes fixed on the dark the way they were fixed on those graves. Her hands had trembled when she brushed the dirt from their stones. She’d hidden them in her skirts like she thought no one would notice. But I did. I notice too much where she’s concerned. Five graves, each etched with names the rest of the village has learned to avoid.

I’d been close enough to feel the silence pressing down on her, to hear the weight of it in her breath. The moon hangs thin and high, its pale light barely catching on the rooftops. It’s not enough to see by, but it still stirs something deep in me, something I’ve spent years refusing to name. I push away from the wall, moving down the hall and out the door quietly, moving down the empty street. My steps are soundless, the packed earth not daring to give me away, heading for the far edge of the village where the buildings sag and crumble in quiet surrender.

Frames splintered, roofs caved in, walls leaning like they’ve grown tired of holding their own weight.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations used in reviews, articles, or other critical works.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Cover Design: K. Murphy Editing: K. Murphy OceanofPDF.com AUTHOR’S NOTE First, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for picking up Eclipsed, my debut novel and the very first installation in The Eclipsed Series. This story has lived in my head and heart for a long time, and it means the world that you’ve chosen to join me on this journey.

A little about me: I’m K. Murphy, a lifelong dreamer, writer, and now, thanks to you, a published author. I am usually running around with tiny gremlins that can’t even read yet, so this is my very first book, which means there were long nights, plenty of coffee, and quite a few “what on earth am I doing?” moments along the way.

But here we are. You’re holding proof that dreams can make their way onto paper. Since this book was self-edited, I want to thank you for your patience and understanding if the occasional typo or misspelling snuck past me. If you catch one, feel free to let me know, I welcome the feedback!

You can reach me at my TikTok @i.k.murphy or by email at [email protected]. Most of all, I hope you enjoy the ride. Let yourself get lost in the magic, the chaos, and the shadows. And when you turn that last page—I’ll see you on the other side. Much love, my little book gremlins and sunlings, K. Murphy For every heart that’s been caged— tear the bars apart.

For every fire smothered— breathe life into the embers. And when they say you’re playing with fire… tell them you intend to burn, And take the world with you.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: 98a05657f46c9aa0
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 5,360,353 bytes (5.112 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• Pages: 380
• Language: English (en)

Reading & Word Statistics

• Estimated Reading Time: 556.68 minutes
• Total Words: 111,336
• Total Characters: 610,291
• Average Words per Page: 292.99
• Average Characters per Page: 1606.03

Most Frequent Words

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