As the day progressed, the Grove slowly returned to its familiar rhythm. Creatures moved with purpose, leaves whispered softly in the breeze, and the portal stood calm again—its edges smooth, its runes quiet, as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
But inside Lira, nothing was quite the same.
She sat at the base of the giant old tree, knees drawn up, fingers idly tracing patterns in the moss. Her gaze drifted, unfocused, following shafts of light filtering through the canopy. The world felt normal again—and yet her thoughts spiraled far beyond it.
Stardust.
Her spirit stirred with the same curious hunger she'd known as a child, when she first discovered magic and asked questions no one else thought to ask.
If stardust allows passage… not just travel, but observation…
Then I could see.
Not interfere.
Not change.
Just… understand.
