Chapter 357

• We formed a procession, walking in pairs of four, our steps deliberate and heavy with meaning. Those who had chosen to stay behind lingered nearby, their eyes flickering between curiosity and fear. It was that glimmer of curiosity that gave me hope, a quiet promise that one day they too might feel the pull of this realm.
• Excitement buzzed through me, nearly impossible to contain, as I thought of the vibrant colors, the intoxicating scents, and the surge of magic that seemed to inhabit every breeze and droplet of water in the fae realm. I longed to uncover its mysteries, to explore the corners of Leonardo’s court and master the wild, untamed magic now thrumming in my chest. Yet, beneath that excitement, a fragile part of me mourned what I was leaving behind—memories, ghosts, and the tether to a mortal world that had shaped so much of who I was.
• The warriors brought up the rear, a striking sea of metal headpieces and vibrant armor, their presence a testament to the alliances forged in blood and pain. Only days ago, these fae had clashed in battle, spilling each other's blood in a war that had claimed too many lives. Now, they walked side by side, united by the shared longing to return home.