Taking a cautious step forward, Lira extended her hands toward the nearest spirit, a tiny figure with a golden glow. It darted around her fingers, laughing in a chiming whisper. Her pulse quickened—not from fear, but from wonder. Tentatively, she mirrored its motion, guiding her own hands in soft arcs, trying to match the rhythm of its flight.
The spirit responded immediately, twirling higher, leaving sparkling trails that braided through the air like threads of silk. Lira felt a subtle warmth in her chest, a gentle resonance of empathy she had not experienced so strongly before. Every movement of her hands, every shift of her focus, seemed to affect the spirits. They reacted not only to her physical presence but to her intent, her calm, and her willingness to engage.
One small, violet spirit approached her more closely, tilting its head curiously. It whispered in a voice that only Lira could hear: "Do you see us? Do you feel?"
