*High Desert Resolve*

Sunburnt and sinewed by years under the open sky, Eli McRae stands where the dry wind hums like a warning. A former trail scout turned lone rancher, he’s carved out a life in the unforgiving spine of the Southwest. With a weathered Henry rifle slung across his back and a Colt nestled on his hip, Eli’s eyes scan the canyon ridges—more out of habit than fear. He’s searching for stray cattle this time, not outlaws or wagon trains. But the land remembers every footstep, and so does he. His vest bears the dust of decades, but his spirit remains as iron-bound as the desert rock behind him. In these lands, a man’s grit writes his legacy.