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    The Light That Remains
    The Light That Remains
    The Light That Remains
    Ebook124 pages1 hour

    The Light That Remains

    By Richard Parry

    ()

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    About this ebook

    What if the world wasn't broken, but you were just in the wrong part of it?

    When burnout and grief leave him hollowed out, one tired traveller finds himself stumbling into a quiet hamlet that isn't on any map. Hearthlight is small. It has no cell reception, no urgent emails, and no idea who he used to be. What it does have is a cat that might be a dragon, a ghost who just wants to be remembered, a boy with too much wisdom for ten years old, and a community that doesn't care what you've done… only who you choose to be.

    Told over twenty-four days, The Light That Remains is a gentle fantasy of mulled wine by the fire, walks with a very good dog, and the kind of magic that lives in kindness, not lightning bolts. It's a story of small joys, slow healing, and the quiet strength of showing up.

    If Legends & Lattes brewed a cup of tea instead of coffee, and The Slow Regard of Silent Things actually wanted to make you feel okay again, you'd be somewhere near The Light That Remains. Perfect for fans of cosy fantasy, found family, and the belief that maybe, just maybe, we all deserve a second chance.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRichard Parry
    Release dateMay 5, 2025
    ISBN9781067064365
    The Light That Remains
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      Book preview

      The Light That Remains - Richard Parry

      The Light That Remains

      THE LIGHT THAT REMAINS

      A GENTLE FANTASY ABOUT HEALING, COMMUNITY, AND SECOND CHANCES

      RICHARD PARRY

      Richard Parry

      CONTENTS

      You’re Awesome

      Roll for Narrative

      Author’s Note

      Day 1: The Arrival

      Day 2: A First Glimpse

      Day 3: The Ancient Oak Tree

      Day 4: A Cozy Space

      Day 5: The Key

      Day 6: The Traveler’s Journal

      Day 7: A Secret Garden

      Day 8: The Unexpected Gift

      Day 9: The Mountain View

      Dat 10: The Fireside Chat

      Day 11: The Meadow’s Secret

      Day 12: A Small Disagreement

      Day 13: Lake of Reflections

      Day 14: A Shared Experience

      Day 15: The Lanterns at Dusk

      Day 16: The Forest Glade

      Day 17: The Sweet Scent

      Day 18: A Quiet Moment

      Day 19: A Fork in the Path

      Day 20: The Shared Shelter

      Day 21: A Hidden Word

      Day 22: The Village Feast

      Day 23: Leaving Your Mark

      Day 24: The Final Reflection

      Tomb of the Six

      The Quiet Forest

      One Last Gift Before You Go

      About the Author

      Also by Richard Parry

      THE LIGHT THAT REMAINS copyright © 2025 Richard Parry.

      Cover design copyright © 2025 Richard Parry.

      All rights reserved.

      ISBN-13 ebook: 978-1-0670643-6-5

      First edition.

      No parts of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any form without permission. Piracy, much as it sounds like a cool thing done at sea with a lot of, Me hearties! commentary, is a dick move. It gives nothing back to the people who made this book, so don’t do it. Support original works: purchase only authorised editions.

      No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems.

      While we’re here, what you’re holding is a work of fiction created by a professional liar. It is not done in an edgy documentary style with recovered footage. Pretty much everything in here was made up by the author so you could enjoy a story about the world being saved through action scenes and witty dialog. No people were used as templates, serial numbers filed off for anonymity. Any resemblance to humans you know (alive) or have known (dead) is coincidental.

      Find out more about Richard Parry at parrydox.com

      Published by Richard Parry, New Zealand.

      WHAT IF THE WORLD WASN’T BROKEN…

      …BUT YOU WERE JUST IN THE WRONG PART OF IT?

      When burnout and grief leave him hollowed out, one tired traveller finds himself stumbling into a quiet hamlet that isn’t on any map. Hearthlight is small. It has no cell reception, no urgent emails, and no idea who he used to be. What it does have is a cat that might be a dragon, a ghost who just wants to be remembered, a boy with too much wisdom for ten years old, and a community that doesn’t care what you’ve done… only who you choose to be.

      Told over twenty-four days, The Light That Remains is a gentle fantasy of mulled wine by the fire, walks with a very good dog, and the kind of magic that lives in kindness, not lightning bolts. It’s a story of small joys, slow healing, and the quiet strength of showing up.

      If Legends & Lattes brewed a cup of tea instead of coffee, and The Slow Regard of Silent Things actually wanted to make you feel okay again, you’d be somewhere near The Light That Remains. Perfect for fans of cosy fantasy, found family, and the belief that maybe, just maybe, we all deserve a second chance.

      YOU’RE AWESOME

      You could have picked any book, but you chose this one. That means a lot.

      Your support keeps independent authors like me forging ahead, writing the stories we love (and hopefully, the ones you love too). Whether you’re here for the characters, the worldbuilding, or just a little escapism, thank you for being part of this journey.

      You. Kick. Ass.

      ROLL FOR NARRATIVE

      WHERE WORLDBUILDING AND OVERTHINKING COLLIDE

      Love stories that linger in your brain long after The End? Ever wonder why some books hit like a natural 20 and others critically fail their way into the 1-star abyss?

      Join Roll for Narrative, my hub for sci-fi and fantasy lovers. I explore storytelling like a rogue casing a dungeon, review movies, books, and games, and dish out writing tips like a chaotic-good bard with a grudge against bad prose. No spam, just good stuff.

      Join the quest:

      https://rollfornarrative.parrydox.com

      For my Rae, always.

      AUTHOR’S NOTE

      (OR, HOW I GOT LOST IN THE WOODS AND FOUND A HEARTH)

      Each chapter of this book has been narrated, but alas: ebooks don’t do that yet. Click the image at the start of each chapter to be taken to a page with the original recording.

      This book began as a walk in the dark.

      Not literal darkness (though there was some of that), but the kind of emotional twilight you find when you’re worn down by the world. I’d stumbled across a gentle solo journaling game called The Hearthlight Chronicles by Henrique de Aguiar. It promised something small and soft: twenty-four quiet prompts for introspection, kindness, and a touch of fantasy.

      What I didn’t expect was that it would offer me a way back to myself.

      Each day, I sat down with the next prompt. I rolled the dice. I picked a track. And then I wrote what I saw. Slowly, a story began to emerge: one of a tired wanderer, a very good dog, a ghost in the woods, a cat who was possibly a dragon, and a wizard who sold books and didn’t mind if you were a little broken.

      It wasn’t meant to be a book.

      But people read it, and something strange happened. They told me they felt seen. That this cosy tale about gelato, barbecues, and quiet grief made them feel… okay. Like maybe healing was possible. Like maybe second chances were real.

      So here it is, in collected form.

      The Light That Remains is inspired entirely by The Hearthlight Chronicles game, created by Henrique de Aguiar (findable on Bluesky, X, or Itch). Henrique was kind enough to give me permission to use his game to tell this tale… and I remain endlessly grateful for the gift of his journalling RPG. Thanks are also due to The Soloist, who showcased Henrique’s work. The Light That Remains is my thank-you; it’s freely given back to you all, and I hope it helps you as much as it helped me.

      The Hearthlight Chronicles artwork.

      This isn’t a traditional narrative. It’s a journey. One foot in front of the other. One cup of tea after another. If you’ve ever felt tired, lost, lonely, or like the world has chewed you up and spat you out, I hope this book offers you what Hearthlight offered me:

      A reminder that the road isn’t over.

      And there’s still light ahead.

      — RP, May 2025.

      DAY 1: THE ARRIVAL

      SHEEP, GELATO, AND POSSIBLY A WIZARD NAMED HOLLIS

      A rolling meadow.

      The carriage wound its way through

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