New beginnings

Previously

…The air smelled damp and earthy, a scent that usually filled him with a sense of home, but today it only amplified his loss. He missed Jasmyn’s cheerful chirps, the way her tiny wings would flutter with excitement when she discovered a particularly juicy dewdrop. He missed her bright, optimistic spirit that always managed to lift his own. "Jasmyn?" he called out, his voice a low rumble that seemed to get lost in the vast, sodden emptiness. Only the drip, drip, drip of water from the remaining leaves answered him. He felt a pang of guilt, a heavy weight settling in his chest. Had he been strong enough? Had he done enough to protect their home? His slowness, which he