Griesla returned from the kitchen, her gown whispering, a small, faceted crystal clutched in her delicate hand.
It caught the light, fracturing it into prisms that danced across the painted walls, a tiny star in her palm.
Her gray eyes met Alex's, calm but purposeful, and she nodded toward the door. "Time to go," she said, her singsong voice soft but firm, like a breeze urging him forward.
Alex followed, his new cloak swirling as they stepped outside, the gravel crunching under his boots.
The compound sprawled before them, twinlights dozing in their pens, the glass-leaved tree sparkling in the dawn. Jusin's voice boomed from the animal sanctuary, his broad frame half-hidden by a fence.
"Yo, Alex! Knock 'em dead, kid!" he called, waving a calloused hand, his grin wide under his beard.
Alex smirked, tossing a mock salute, his confidence flaring at the encouragement, though a flutter of nerves stirred beneath it.
