Lira decided to return to the fairy village. Her heart fluttered with a mixture of excitement and nervousness as she followed the same hidden path Ivvie had once shown her. She kept glancing over her shoulder, making sure no one from the academy saw her slipping away.
Behind the academy, half-hidden beneath ivy and moss, stood the weathered wooden door. Its surface was rough with age, vines curling around its frame like guardians of the secret passage. She pushed it open with care, the hinges groaning softly, and stepped into the cool embrace of the forest beyond.
The air grew quieter as she walked deeper into the trees. Shafts of pale morning light filtered through the mist that clung to the undergrowth. The sound of her footsteps on damp earth echoed faintly, accompanied only by the occasional bird call. It was as if the forest itself held its breath, knowing where she was going.
