Aiden stood before the five kneeling Uldrien women.
Their heads were lowered, their hands resting against their thighs.
Aiden folded his arms.
"So, did you all complete your task?"
The five women lifted their heads.
"Yes, Master!" they answered in unison.
Aiden smiled.
"Good."
He looked over them one by one. Vespera, who had led the group, knelt at the front. Behind her were Ravendra, Velzaria, Nythera, and Elarith.
They had been given a simple but important task: learn the names of the villagers they had once terrorized.
Aiden had insisted that they remember every name—not merely as a list to recite, but as a reminder that the Bunny Folks were people with lives, families, and histories of their own.
He turned toward Vespera.
"Vespera, come here."
Vespera raised her head respectfully.
"Yes, Master."
She stood and walked toward him, her ears twitching slightly. When she noticed the smug smile on his face, she slowed.
