The glow of the *Lunabloom* pulsed in Hiroshi's hand, its soft light shimmering in rhythm with his heartbeat. Lila watched him, her expression unreadable, yet her tail twitched in a way that suggested quiet relief. Hiroshi wasn't sure what had just happened—whether it was magic, instinct, or something deeper—but for the first time, he felt like he had truly connected with this world.
Lila took a deep breath, as if steadying herself for what came next. "There's something you need to know about the Beastfolk," she said. "About why we don't trust outsiders easily."
Hiroshi shifted slightly, sensing the weight in her words. "I'm listening."
Lila knelt beside the Lunabloom patch, gently running her fingers through the petals. "A long time ago, before the factions divided, Beastfolk lived alongside everyone else. We weren't warriors, rulers, or scholars like the elves or dwarfs. We were caretakers—of the land, the forests, the creatures within them."
She hesitated, her ears lowering slightly. "But that changed. As wars broke out between the other races, Beastfolk were caught in the middle. We were expected to take sides, to fight battles we had no stake in. And when the war ended, we were cast aside—seen as nothing more than wandering nomads, unimportant to the new political order."
Hiroshi's grip on the glowing flower tightened. "That's… awful."
Lila nodded. "Many of us tried to integrate—to live in the elven cities, or among the dwarfs. But we were always the last to be considered. That's why Beastfolk prefer to stay in their own lands. That's why we rarely open up to outsiders."
She paused before glancing up at him. "That's why I wasn't sure if I could trust you."
Hiroshi swallowed, suddenly feeling the weight of everything Lila had revealed. He hadn't considered how deeply ingrained the tensions in this world were—how much history had shaped the way each faction saw one another.
"I don't blame you," Hiroshi said, his voice quiet but firm. "You've had every reason to keep your distance. But… I meant what I said earlier. I want to understand. I want to help, even if I don't know how yet."
Lila studied him for a moment before giving a small, almost hesitant smile. "Then maybe you really are different."
The quiet between them was comfortable, unspoken understanding settling in.
Then, a sharp rustling from the nearby trees made them both tense.
Lila's ears perked up immediately, her posture shifting into alertness. Hiroshi stiffened, his eyes darting toward the darkened forest beyond the grove.
Something—or someone—was watching them.