Stella continued to stare at her, her heart pounding violently against her chest as though it wanted to break free. Her mind struggled to process what had just happened.
She just bowed…to me?
Impossible. I must be seeing things. This has to be another part of the illusion.
From the moment she had stepped into the strange forest, Stella had unconsciously prepared herself for every possible danger.
She had expected powerful magic to be unleashed against her, a fierce battle she would be forced to fight, or perhaps a carefully laid trap where she would be imprisoned for reasons she could not yet understand.
Never, not even for a single second, had she imagined that the mysterious woman before her would lower her head in a respectful bow.
It was not the kind of greeting strangers exchanged when they first met. Nor was it the courteous nod offered between equals.
It was the solemn bow reserved for someone of a far higher status.
