The path from the forest border to the academy felt different this time, as if the trees themselves whispered in quiet anticipation of Lira's return. Renkai walked on her left, steady and reassuring, while Thalanir mirrored him on the right, their presence a gentle guard and comforting companionship. Even the forest seemed alive with a subtle hum of energy—leaves glinting in the sunlight, branches swaying as though bowing in recognition, birds pausing mid-song to watch the procession of the multielemental returning from her underwater quest.
Lira's mind wandered through the memories of the lake, Serelyth's steadfast presence, the gleaming water shard now safely tucked away in her space bag. The weight of the journey still pressed on her shoulders, but it was mingled with exhilaration, a sense of accomplishment and quiet pride. Yet there was also an undercurrent of longing—longing to see her friends, to be home, to reconnect with faces she had missed deeply.
