Jasper still looked like he was reeling, as if Cesio's words had pulled the ground out from under him. He kept glancing between us, trying to piece together the cracks in the illusion. But I didn't spare him a second thought. My purpose here had nothing to do with him.
I stepped past Cesio, my attention drawn to the statue that loomed quietly.
The moment my gaze landed on it, I stilled.
Bathed in pale light, the marble stood pristine and untouched by time. The Saintess Mirielle, robed in flowing garments, her expression serene. Beside her, the majestic form of the Water Dragon, captured mid-motion, wings half-unfurled, as though guarding her for eternity and near their feet was the small boy with his eyes closed and hands joined in prayer to the Water Dragon. This boy must be Kai.
The sculptor had rendered them with such delicate precision, it almost felt as if the stone itself breathed.
The statue was beautiful—divine, even.
And yet, I found myself wanting to laugh.
