The soft glow of the valley's artificial sunlight was starting to dim, dipping into that comfortable twilight Lucian had designed to mark the end of a day. The fields were quiet except for the rustle of crops in the breeze and the faint hum of the fairies drifting in the distance.
To any outsider, it might have looked idyllic—peaceful, even. But Lucian's gaze lingered on the cages at the far end of the valley, where four intruders lay slumped against the bars.
The powder had done its work. Their breaths came slow and steady, still weighed down by unnatural sleep.
But Lucian knew the effects would fade soon. He straightened his small frame, brushed the dirt off his hands from the fields, and began walking toward them.
Berry had offered to watch over the prisoners, but Lucian wanted to handle this personally.
There were too many unknowns. And unknowns, in his experience, had a way of becoming disasters if left unchecked.
