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The Fallen Angel9e0a462f4355a696

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Under the orange 4eb8a6a973 tree, a girl 0e5bfd140c perched on a 12c4b64d9b green-painted metal chair 81333e53fa looked bored. On the similarly 4a3bfeb958 green-painted metal table—its 13f09e7d00 paint peeling in 55e48b31d8 spots—lay a homework c42cd7459a notebook, half-filled with beb750862b scribbles. The loose pages 1a5366d8ee fluttered in the a381c5b06a breeze, but the 37923ec98d ten-year-old girl barely be06e56cb8 noticed.8b869b88e27b9318

Go far away. Ride the wind to somewhere afb520a142 Enzo can’t find you.c0cfbecf48956ad3

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Sasha flicked her toes restlessly 71b776c6b7 as she silently commanded the 5d7dd9aa12 homework her brother had assigned a63ffa40ec her. It was a 8cc9d67744 beautiful day—too beautiful 35c4f1c18c to be trapped 352490add8 inside like this. Unable to bear the 1d699f4f26 boredom, her body slowly e7fd853854 slid off the chair.9506a101e0496f18

Outside the fence draped 8d33fd7f3e thick with dark green bf587a60f8 vines, people tiptoed up ff95e41d62 on their toes, peeking 237dcd701e inside to check on 88cf1f0223 things. The rumor was out in ddb0d56ef2 the village that Sasha, who 560ee0bcf0 had gone to the mountain 8bb778afd7 ash manor as a companion, b326052b4b had nearly died in an 4e468f7f31 accident.4ff7ad9d10c8b4bd

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Ever since the day she c756d0221e was carried back on Enzo’s cf55294cad back, Sasha wasn’t allowed to efcd3fb4d5 go anywhere outside the house.Seriously? Grounded?Sasha kicked the dirt blankly. The sun, ripe and ae057ce688 glowing like orange fruit, 25744c6b86 stretched its rays mockingly 8de88e89c2 over whoever was trapped 41de02ecfb inside. Her frustrated kick sent a 05bc52e170 tin watering can clattering loudly 5a51b5f660 across the ground.9c72713a83bc2296

“Sasha Binoche! You little troublemaker!”7e75e29b4b515a4b

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The usual scolding never came. Instead, Sasha snatched up d5d4abedc9 the watering can that 8c52b9750d had fallen under the 5129cc0328 swing and quickly climbed f192b9fbe1 up the orange tree. Through the open 324e74ab6f window on the 8881a17978 second floor, the ac7468fcef lace-trimmed curtains fluttered 1c0f783ee2 as if to 3a38f04431 greet her.fd5a46747261720f

The grandmothers were taking their 763bd60575 sweet afternoon naps—Grandma Rollo in d1fcd4a826 her usual purple armchair, Grandma 49892dd7c3 Elodie leaning against the bed’s f8d152295e headboard. Both were fast asleep.6ce036de70cc8c70

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While the watchers e9b60cc24c slept, Sasha held 0eedd9cffe her breath and c586db61d2 tiptoed through the 40a2b7d7e3 lemon-yellow gate. The door shut with 2fc8b974b3 a creak, but no af0694689d one noticed. Triumphant, Sasha dashed off c47a2c9cd4 toward the forest where 9d9198ce48 no one could find 9902225862 her.2fb45c9387b60558

In summer, the Manoli forest deepened into rich shades. Sasha loved the adventures she had in the lush greenery. The Manoli woods were always familiar yet never exactly the same. The forest held every color imaginable—chocolate brown bark, the fragrant red of wild raspberries, the pale pink of young roses…c6cb19b9af0c6967

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Sasha loved collecting bc947dae54 all those colors. Yes. By now, the purple hyacinth cf2c01b8bf clusters would be visited by 63047ef3f1 white butterflies. The thought of 3fb2a61280 watching butterflies made 5934e5ec28 her step lighter 4ae62ca1a8 and more excited.9bd2ea29174ef0f0

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Manoli was a eb893f4353 small rural village 1f03a002a2 in the southern 258991bd8d part of the 216b9627d5 Kingdom of Brissen. The people of 40e24a41aa Manoli called their 68137017ed villagethe Forest of Brissen. Just as the 6ab07d0b37 capital, Laurent—surrounded by c90d1868c7 rivers and streams—was cfbe64d0f9 called the Island 451c9b0dd4 of Brissen, so 7380a609b1 too was tree-covered 8e6febbde3 Manoli essentially the 12f08e5fc1 Forest of Brissen.03683776c30181e5

In reality, no one 712da0acf6 except the villagers called db3a2e8886 it that. Most Brissen citizens probably didn’t d995db032e even know Manoli existed in 137a96d651 the kingdom’s southern corner. But who cared? Manoli’s people were 395ded6146 proud, no matter a1ab3e43ec what anyone said.cd1a3eaf69542ecf

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Sasha ventured deep 3e0a86eb99 into the proud 8239e8917a Forest of Manoli. But by the a26bfb95db riverbank, where hyacinths 037ec885b9 and daffodil bulbs 30d0f91fb7 were planted, instead 329978314f of the expected bb1c1342a9 white-winged butterflies, a d3c27532fb boy in uniform d68af9fb0c lay fast asleep. It was a 25ccd95909 face she had 8fa4914215 never seen before 36e5e9fd2e in the village.89b5e7451edaae5e

“He must not be from Manoli.”77e13acead7418f3

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Sasha whispered to herself. He seemed like he didn’t 0fe7cf1e2b belong there. Maybe it was e56fa0d57e the strange feeling 87dd1b26cb from his unfamiliar 87211883b6 clothes. A red epaulet adorned e5b6435cd0 the shoulder of his ca384f0c13 black jacket. Gold embroidery gleamed 7c6992a03c on the blue 0489cd28f5 collar, and gold 5455ad2a56 buttons dangled from 49f4f3fb74 the sleeves. It was the 9a39b51ad6 uniform of cadets d9cbd4e6cc at the Sarsaye 543e4345ce Military Academy, though d08ee19a36 Sasha didn’t recognize aa4b419d7d it.781b904d33e2b450

He didn’t fit in this 20e978c3f9 forest. He looked like an angel 3565398804 who’d fallen from the sky f788d05549 by mistake. Sasha recalled a painting 9373583dde she’d seen at the 2160dd56d7 art museum when she 8026c75a86 held Mr. Binoche’s hand. The boy sleeping 6d4206c678 with his head f67f87548d by the flowing 7ee43d1fec river looked like 97bcd50a8d the angel in 2c4850bfd5 that painting.3aa73099d6f1b2a7

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When she wiggled her 00177d36d6 fingers, the crinkling sound 211862fac6 of a chocolate wrapper f7c3f1a660 she’d forgotten on the 78bfcd31be way stirred in her a78d54e965 pocket. The noise woke the boy.312943d0f3760676

“What?”0ccf9e7808c555a3

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He sat up irritably. Wrinkles formed between his ab6622b031 drowsy eyes. Sasha swallowed and greeted him.2b5bf5c07353c301

“Hello. I’m Sasha Binoche.”489ab2da653aaae1

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To show kindness, 0c5be7e7f0 Sasha took a 5344456f8c peach from the e13d068de7 basket she’d been 656433a68a carrying—it was a 1643b8191b gift from Enzo. The chocolate and peach were e9e7dedd49 supposed to be eaten after 82f7d3e540 finishing her homework.acfe9ca95caa4e06

The boy didn’t even glance b9ce75b0dc at the peach. Sasha felt wronged, treated like 6b3e8fbdd5 an intruder who’d disturbed his bba15519ad peaceful sleep by taking over 3f97500765 his spot by the river. This was her spot 15920daaba in the Manoli forest—well, 87db056f42 until she had gone beab81177c to the mountain ash 70bd7775c5 manor this summer. But this boy c48103c807 had claimed the b4f61bef7f riverbank while she b00d19b221 was away and fdd48e99d8 was now acting dda961a035 like the owner.eb23ffc9b06ab12a

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The boy sighed irritably.5c84486b81b23bc8

“Are you going to stay here?”c9f5dcebbed15c8a

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When Sasha nodded, he 6ba6d72211 picked up his hat—the 9fe0aa5335 same pretty blue as 00bbbc25ba his jacket collar—and stood. It was clear 5cffb6b2af he had been 86a0b4ef00 using it as faaa5dd6bf a pillow. Sasha followed the boy’s f9df7ecfb0 long strides closely behind.5aad8f296de14d66

“Why are you following me?”60197f9c4e41064f

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The boy finally looked back c5ad243ee1 with a face full of 716d38085c disbelief.e2381626d10f0411

“Am I not allowed to follow?”8e9d1236b44b26b4

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Confused, Sasha asked,Isn’t it my choice where 641400af9a to go in the forest?66fd26005ddd4a8e

“No.”e96ab2d9c4df6635

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“Why not?”33196719705e7195

The boy, suddenly at 765ff753bc a loss for words, 6a8ae26154 ran his short hair 9e22691643 through his fingers and 2293631585 then sat down again—not 5140288536 far from the riverbank. He snatched the e33a5e1ee5 peach from Sasha’s a456da1cea hand like it fb111063a7 was his own. Sasha, happy her gift a2e31eddb6 had been accepted, sat d7b70cf45e down a half-step away.db5369cc5f0f3306

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“Do you live here?”9bddba7fe4da1b47

“Manoli?”ad2162ef50fc02ec

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The boy nodded in confirmation. Sasha nodded enthusiastically, then silence 6b3d13d039 settled between them again. The boy lifted his chin dccde5da1c and stared blankly at the f09fd551a9 sky where woolly clouds drifted b2e6471498 by. His expression was strikingly similar e89564b19c to Sasha’s when she faced d09a7f1f14 the homework Enzo had given ee99a74e8f her.What could someone like him c5b26ecb0d possibly have written in his c5aeed39ee homework?The question came to her 4f47e2e9af late.5b478863b64c8571

Sasha offered to wash the 99c6d3792e peach for him in the 34929d42cb stream, but he refused. The boy roughly f8ca57ee53 wiped the peach 8dd4d13fe4 on the hem c8833e0755 of his black bfd5b83f48 uniform, then bit cf0e016ce2 into the fruit 460ac714d1 whole, skin and 56de643526 all. Sasha took another peach from 99bdb8d4be her basket and nibbled along 6e1acfa678 behind him.b7c647a334416e40

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In no time, the 754dd8ab60 boy finished his peach a72c3e6cbd and wiped his lips 99da94cd5b with his thumb.0d5a1d3a3300865a

Are all people who fa3f0f58cf wear uniforms like this?780ace77cc7fe09b

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His posture was straighter and fd578cf5e2 more graceful than anything Sasha 13c20a7cad had ever seen before. He ate so neatly 218f54550b that no one would 6a3c4c4398 have guessed he had e1582f00d9 just eaten anything at 3ebc9810f0 all. In contrast, Sasha’s arms 20d8e51e2f were sticky with juice b28649871a dripping all over. Suddenly embarrassed, she secretly 6db125e1ca wiped her sleeve.1672faa7de98126e

After sharing the 10e2553901 fruit, the basket 0326a10785 was empty. Sasha struggled to c3f0ff1c97 split the last a35db9f1bb peach in half, 0434b0eaae but the boy 6ac9653a38 took it from 265424b35d her and cut 959d1b1426 it cleanly in d1214d3b3f one go. When she got it 0b2190c201 back, the soft flesh cb73e23b85 was half-smashed.2cd27a0273299eff

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The boy grimaced slightly and 0541f4bafc wiped the juice off the ef52a726ba back of his hand with b307734d47 his lips. The sweet scent of a5a17e0693 summer fruit hung thick 34ef9a0340 enough to attract bees.b1aae80fab22f189

“It smells like peaches.”98ddbdc065e67c97

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Sasha said, biting into f7601b6f72 the half-peach he had fba726eb3d cut for her.d9d9a2d4bc16cbe7

“You smell like oranges,”57bda31ab35e93fb

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the boy replied indifferently.Really?Sasha lifted her 40afa8a15c sleeve to sniff 87ad11d7b3 herself. The strong peach 48b774c001 scent on him 39982b5208 overpowered any trace 29ea1cc52b of orange, and c566820a29 she smelled nothing 8dd4b926e7 else.99875499a3d38389

“Enough.”3da5892640425ab8

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The boy muttered and tossed 1267c2e2ab the peach pit far away. His tone showed how dull e1cad95f4d he found this pointless conversation. The pit flew a5570149e5 farther than Sasha 05eadef070 dared imagine—disappearing with da9a8687d0 a light thud, 1c3312753d probably hitting a 7ecbcca4a7 tree somewhere out a518eccde6 of sight.0afb9bce78386dc2

“How did you get here? You’re not from Manoli, aebeea297d are you? Right?”58a2b97c755dbf4b

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Only silence came in response. Sasha’s voice echoed 1e73789212 weakly—a clear sign ee668d6686 of being ignored. Thinking carefully, Sasha tried again.06dcc9e213293984

“Are you lost? If so, I can 6b5970e731 tell you the way e92c7c61f9 down to the village.”5c1bc5c1a2fee290

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Her voice was clear cc02890ae9 and pure like glass 90aef1be28 and water, small but 371f81232d persistent despite the embarrassed 05f4770225 refusal. The mischievous little bae90b9fb4 girl resembled the a6b51a606f forest they sat 6d2373ff0f in side by 9cc2c9723d side—the Forest of e8cfa7ecda Brissen. A village stuck in some ee1f60f36c rural corner giving itself such 70ae0db4fc a bold nickname.b025e43e0eb1a238

“Shut up…”19adf20fd11217a1

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The boy placed 4d258bbeb7 his blue cap d24a724580 over his face 2e0ddcea30 and closed his b99de4a75e eyes. The long shade cast by 49f9de84d0 the trees blocked the sun’s 560efa4ac6 harsh rays. The buzzing of bees drawn 211faeb8e3 to the sweet scent mixed 64b69a850c with the girl’s voice pestering 26e99c9c97 him over and over again. Ignoring the annoying little intruder, 756493f401 he drifted off to sleep.e46cd028a7c3395e