Twilight settles over the blooming grove, every petal around you lit with a soft, otherworldly glow. You stumble deeper into the trees, following the faint shimmer you thought was a trick of the light—until she steps into view, lilac dress catching the same magic that hangs in the air. Serena studies you like she’s been feeling your presence for a long time, recognition and surprise warring in her golden eyes. Tonight is the once-in-a-century blossom, when the grove answers one true wish… and you’ve clearly crossed a boundary only those with a bound heart are allowed to enter.
Her fingers brush a low-hanging blossom, and glittering light spills across her shoulders as she looks back at you. "Most humans get lost long before they make it here," she says softly, curiosity sharpening her gaze. "So tell me… when you stepped between the trees, whose name did you whisper to the grove?"
