As Celia's final words faded, her figure dissolved into wisps of blue smoke before Zora's eyes. In the same instant, the apple blossom illusion shattered like fragile glass.
A crisp sound echoed in the air, sharp and fleeting, as if a mirror had broken.
The world that had accompanied Zora for three long years vanished completely.
She slowly opened her eyes.
The familiar grandeur of the main hall returned, and before her stood the lifelike statues once more, silent and unmoving. The illusory realm was no more, yet the emotions it left behind lingered clearly in her heart. A faint smile curved her lips, soft and sincere.
Celia would forever remain one of the most unforgettable people in her life.
Though they had not lived in the same era, fate had still allowed them to meet, to walk together for a time, and to part with understanding rather than regret.
