Throughout the palace, there were countless secret gardens and hidden alcoves, each one seemingly designed to offer a moment of peace away from the grandeur of the main halls.
Some gardens were tucked behind elaborate stone arches, while others were concealed behind curtains of flowering vines. Each contained its own unique collection of plants and flowers, ranging from ordinary herbs to exotic species Ren had never seen before.
The air was perpetually warm and sweet, carrying the fragrance of blooming flowers through the palace corridors. Somewhere in the distance, birds chirped lazily from the trees, accompanied by the soothing sound of waterfalls flowing through carefully constructed stone channels.
It was peaceful.
Almost too peaceful.
Ren had spent so much time traveling through dangerous forests, ruined settlements, monster-infested territories, and battlefields that the tranquility felt strangely unfamiliar.
He wasn't used to it.
"By the way..."
