Beneath the Moonpetal Bloom

Previously

…She ate sparingly of her provisions, her gaze often drifting to the Moonpetal buds, a silent promise forming in her heart. The journey had been arduous, filled with the subtle challenges of the wild, but she had found the grove. Now, she had to wait. Wait for the moon to weep its tears of shadow, wait for the moment when the prophecy would demand its price. As the last vestiges of daylight faded, and the stars began to prick the deepening indigo sky, Elara closed her eyes, the gentle music of the silver leaves lulling her into a watchful rest. The forgotten grove held its breath, and so did she.