When the Stardust Settles (and I Still Like Her)

Previously

…The Stardust Bloom, its purpose fulfilled, began to dim, its chaotic beauty receding, leaving behind a sky that was slowly, blessedly, returning to its familiar, comforting darkness. The ley lines hummed with a healthy, steady rhythm, their magic restored. And in the quiet observatory, bathed in the soft glow of the recovering stars, Elara knew that the greatest change had happened not in the heavens, but within herself, and between her and Lyra. The stardust had settled, and something even more beautiful had begun to bloom.