Now, I walk beside Eris through the garden of our estate, hand in hand beneath a soft, quiet sky.
It's always dusk here. That gentle, lingering twilight that never quite slips into night, never fully returns to day. A breeze stirs the air, carrying the faint, sweet scent of blooming petals. It brushes past my dress, lifting the hem just slightly. Tiny red sparkles drift from the fabric, trailing behind me like slow-falling fireflies.
The garden is in full bloom.
Everywhere I look, flowers stretch in every direction. Lush, vibrant, and bursting with color. But the crimson ones catch the eye most of all, already filling the air with a sugary-sweet perfume.
Still, there are so many others. Roses in every shade. Lilies. Strange, unfamiliar blossoms with curling petals and silvery-green leaves.
They must've been planted by the Hearthcarvers Guild.
I don't recognize half of them. Maybe even more.
"Well, same! I don't recognize most of these either," Eris says with a soft giggle.
