Once Upon a Choice

Previously

…She didn't wait for his answer. She turned and walked out of the grotto, leaving Malakor alone with the pulsing Heartstone and the echoes of her words. The path back through the Whispering Woods seemed less menacing now, the rustling leaves no longer whispering threats, but a soft, comforting murmur. The drought had not ended, the rain had not fallen, but Elara carried with her a different kind of hope, a deeper understanding. The real magic, she now knew, wasn’t in a wish granted, but in the choices made. And her choice, though difficult, felt undeniably right.