The carriage flew on as the sun began its slow descent toward the horizon. Below, the farmland gave way to wilder land—rolling hills covered in tall grass, then scattered trees, then the first true forest they had seen in days. Alex guided the carriage downward, steering toward a clearing near a small stream. The crystal hummed softly as they descended, then fell silent when the wheels touched the grass.
He stepped out first. The air was cool and carried the smell of pine and damp earth. Birds called somewhere in the trees. The stream murmured over stones. It was peaceful. The kind of peace that felt earned.
Saeko joined him, her boots soft on the grass. She looked around, her eyes scanning the treeline out of habit, then relaxing when she found nothing threatening. "This is a good spot," she said.
