But even as I smiled at the sight, a thought nagged at me.
Where was Seraphiel?
And the elves?
…
Seraphiel led the elves deeper into Lumi Forest.
They were awestruck.
Wide, tear-glass eyes took in the towering trees, the birdsong echoing through the wilderness, the vibrant green leaves fluttering like tiny flags of life. For elves who had spent years shackled in cages of the lionkin ranches… this was salvation.
A young elf, barely more than a girl, reached out and brushed her fingers over the bark of a tree, as if unsure it was real. An older woman dropped to her knees with her hands trembling as she cradled a flower blooming by a root.
Her tears flowed freely.
A few of the younger ones, who tended to be more playful than the older folk despite everything they'd endured, glanced toward Seraphiel as they walked.
"You won the lottery, didn't you?" one of them teased. "Freedom, an amazing healer class, and a powerful man who loves you dearly?"
