When they reached the guest house and stepped inside, Ard, Eva, and Pyria found Milia awake and sitting up in bed. She looked drained and somber; her eyes were red and swollen, a clear sign she had been crying for a long time. The three of them walked over to Milia, who was already surrounded by the rest of the group.

"Are you doing okay, Milia?" Ard asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I'm alright... but my head is a mess. Everything I tried to bury just came rushing back to the surface," Milia replied.

"It's okay. It was all just an illusion," Eva said, sitting on the other side of her to offer support.

"Yeah... I know. I'm trying to bury it all again," Milia said.

"So, what did you guys talk about at the headman's house?" Mirea asked.

Ard and Eva's expressions shifted for a split second before they regained their composure. They recounted the events to the group, but when the story turned toward Pyria, they hesitated and looked over at her. In the end, Pyria took it upon herself to explain—she told them about her true self, about Dimitri, and the mystery of Velvet. She seemed to have finally made peace with the truth she had heard. Everyone was stunned by the revelation, except for Adeline, who didn't really grasp what was happening. Once she finished the story, the room stayed quiet for a moment.

"So, the Elder just... vanished?" Alicia asked.

"Yes. That's why we're going to have a festival for his funeral," Pyria answered.

"But why did he vanish? Do elves turn into light when they die?" Claudia asked.

"No. The Elder was a High Elf, and so was my mother, since she was his daughter. When a High Elf passes, they become light. It's different for common elves; they simply return to nature," Pyria explained.

"Oh, so that's the point of the festival. It's so the Elder can look down from above and see it," Ainsley noted.

"Something like that. It's an elven tradition," Pyria replied.

"Wow... I really want to see what an elven festival looks like," Beatrice said.

"Tonight, Princess," Rosalind added.

"A festival is a festival. It's a lot like any other, but there are traditional elven dances to honor the elders. I'll be dancing too, so you should all come watch," Pyria said.

"I can't wait to see it," Adeline said with a smile.

"It's going to be great. I'm excited too," Claudia added, resting her hands on Adeline's shoulders.

"Okay... I'm feeling better now. Sorry, everyone, I didn't mean to be such a burden," Milia said, climbing out of bed and stretching her limbs.

"Tomorrow we need to go to the sacred tree behind the village and get its seeds," Geoffrey muttered.

"Yeah, the sooner we get those seeds, the better. But it's probably best if we don't all go. It should just be Pyria and me," Ard said.

"What?" Eva, Alicia, Milia, Beatrice, Rosalind, Mirea, Claudia, Geoffrey, Ainsley, and Irwin all blurted out at once. They stared at Ard as if he had suddenly grown a second head.

"Wait, why, big brother? I want to see the tree too," Adeline murmured.

"At the very least, I should come along, just in case," Eva added.

"Look, we all know why we're getting those seeds. Besides, the journey is dangerous. There are Treants, Lizardmen, and Stone Giants roaming the path. Isn't that right, Pyria?" Ard asked.

"That... is true. But how do you know that?" Pyria asked, confused.

"Because a thousand years ago, I went there as Azroth," Ard answered.

"Oh... I see," Pyria replied.

"What if I come? I need to study everything there so I can create the medicine to break the Goddess's curse," Mirea suggested.

"Curse?" Adeline asked, looking puzzled.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it," Eva quickly replied.

"Ah, right. I get it now," Alicia, Milia, Claudia, Beatrice, Rosalind, Geoffrey, Ainsley, and Irwin all chimed in. They finally understood why Ard only wanted to take Pyria and go alone. He didn't want his younger sister to find out that the primary reason they were heading to the sacred tree was to gather seeds for a potion to lift the curse weighing on Abel.

"Fine. You should just go with Pyria and Mirea then, Ard. I'll stay here and keep watch," Eva said.

"Thanks for understanding," Ard replied.

"Um... can I come too?" Milia asked, raising her hand.

Everyone turned to look at Milia, staring at her raised hand in confusion.

"Why do you want to go?" Alicia asked.

"Yeah, you're not even fully recovered yet," Beatrice added.

"Since when did you start caring about other people, Princess?" Rosalind muttered in a very low voice.

"What was that?" Beatrice asked, turning to Rosalind because she hadn't quite heard her.

"Nothing... just your imagination, Princess," Rosalind replied with a smile.

"I want to go because I need to clear my head, and I want to be useful. I know a bit about healing, and I want to learn more. Besides, my magic should be pretty effective against the monsters there," Milia replied.

"Fair enough. What do you think, Ard?" Mirea asked, turning to him.

"Alright, you can come. So it'll be me, Pyria, Mirea, and Milia," Ard agreed.

"Thank you, Ard!" Milia said, suddenly cheerful. She didn't hesitate for a second—she jumped forward and lunged at Ard. "Smooch." She kissed him squarely on the lips and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Heeeeey!" Eva, Alicia, Beatrice, Rosalind, Mirea, and Claudia all shouted at once. They grabbed Milia and yanked her away until she finally let go of Ard. Pyria just shook her head at the chaos unfolding in front of her, while Geoffrey, Ainsley, and Irwin quickly turned around, taking Adeline with them to shield her eyes.

***

That evening, Ard, Eva, and the rest of the group gathered at the village square, which sat atop a hill near their quarters. The crackle of a massive bonfire in the center of the square added a haunting beauty to the night. Traditional elven music drifted through the air, played by village musicians, as the entire population gathered in a wide circle around the flames.

Soon, five young women, including Pyria, began to dance gracefully in the center. They wore flowing green gowns that matched the color of fresh leaves, leaf crowns, and matching earrings. The five of them spun, raising their hands and moving in a dynamic, perfectly synchronized circle.

Eva and the others were mesmerized by the performance; the melodic music seemed to soothe their very souls. Ard looked up at the star-studded sky, feeling as if Elidyr were looking down on him with a smile. He also noticed Pyria's face—though she was smiling, tears were streaming down her cheeks. Once the dance concluded, the five girls ran toward their partners and pulled them into the center to join the dance. Pyria rushed straight to Ard and tugged on his hand to bring him forward.

The girls danced before the young men, Ard included, before they all began to move as one. Eva, Adeline, Alicia, and the others were shocked to see that Ard could keep up perfectly. His steps were in total sync with the elven youths as they circled the bonfire.

Pyria glowed with excitement seeing Ard follow the rhythm so well, her energy only growing. Meanwhile, Lhoris watched Ard and Pyria dance together. Seeing a human move so fluently in a traditional elven dance made him clench his fists and set his jaw in rage.

His eyes burned with resentment as Ard and Pyria swept past him several times. Before long, as the music reached its finale, the dancers knelt in a circle facing the bonfire. They raised both hands, swaying as if making an offering to the heavens. "Swooosh." The fire suddenly flared up, sending sparks and smoke towering into the night sky. In response, everyone bowed in reverence before standing up to embrace their partners.

The music stopped along with the dance, and the five couples returned to the crowd hand-in-hand. Ard led Pyria back to Eva, Alicia, and the rest. Once they were all standing together, Eva spoke up.

"Hey, that last part... when the couples knelt. What did that mean?" Eva asked.

"We were asking for a blessing from the elders who have passed, so that our union might be approved," Pyria answered.

"And if it isn't approved?" Alicia asked.

"The fire won't grow at all; it won't even move. Then the dance has to be performed all over again because it means we weren't respectful enough to the ancestors," Pyria explained.

"Oh... I see. So that means you two were blessed?" Mirea asked.

"Yep. Definitely," Pyria said, glancing at Ard and planting a kiss on his cheek.

Suddenly, Ard spun around. "Tap." He caught an arrow mid-air just inches from Pyria's head. His gaze immediately locked onto the source: Lhoris, who still hadn't lowered his bow. Without a second thought, Ard—flanked by Geoffrey and Irwin—marched toward Lhoris, carrying the arrow with him.

"Hey, what the hell is this?" Ard demanded angrily, slamming the arrow down at Lhoris's feet.

Lhoris didn't say a word. Instead, he raised his bow once more and aimed it directly at Ard. Geoffrey moved instantly, grabbing the elf's arm. "Thwack." He struck Lhoris hard enough to send him hitting the ground. The square fell deathly silent in an instant, leaving only the crackle of the fire. Ard could see Lhoris's face flush a deep, furious red, tears of rage welling in his eyes.

He glared at Ard with pure hatred, then scrambled up, turned, and fled down the hill. He left the square pursued by the confused stares of the villagers, all of them whispering and wondering "what happened."

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