TECB Chapter 1.1

“For someone 36b319140a who strutted bcf838e236 in as 0be1c5a870 a bride, 087e8fcb93 you’re awfully 9a02a50adb passive. What was your name f2edc03d5b again? Nux? Nix?”1dd9f64c0214754d

Only then did the f116652d38 tightly sealed lips part f49a80b33f slowly. Nox’s eyes 6c18eb137d remained fixed 9234e9e440 downward.e77f1eef112770a3

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“…It’s Nox.”9a4a5e841ec19a57

“Oh, right,Ex!”f85aa7acecb28e26

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Nox’s body flinched at 88f348a9ac the deliberate mispronunciation, the 9bb0b4b28f words chewed and spat 262b6bdabb out with clear intent. The elf before 21cd89b64d him, Luien, openly 66113aaf63 aimed to rile 80ca987d98 him up, drawling, 30f14f4b22 “Mm, Ex, huh? Ex, Ex… 569ae1e77f fits you ee7e740a8c perfectly…” Each time he 2a7f2a546f mangled the name, Luien’s 434df9236b grip tightened on Nox’s 9ce18b2376 cheeks, sharp nails digging 8789bfaf6b into tender human skin. Crimson beads of blood 408a22efa3 welled up where the 225285872c flesh gave way. Luien’s eyes glinted as 9a28f50ea7 he noticed the slight 424c364d43 wince in Nox’s furrowed 07f5b316d9 brow, the pain betraying 4322f14162 itself in the human’s 8661bd9dc7 expression.a4cf1c1c05cb6d96

“All I 20bc5a9338 wanted was 202059fbc6 a small, 0c9324da1f pretty bride, 802e3df3f9 but our 6ace40183c dearExhere doesn’t d5fcf0e420 meet a 72c448452d single one 4c7ad2a03a of my 24067aff98 standards, does 63669e373b he? Even for a human, 6ff8fbf3b4 you’re pretty tall… and f39acc8023 your face…”4141dc0c2c87672b

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Luien’s careless hand turned b7621c6ff0 Nox’s captured face side df9ccd343f to side, inspecting every 7bf0684e87 angle. His ash-gray 4c43d6da33 eyes, low baa76082fa and brooding, 964ab648d1 couldn’t hide bb616076df the hostility 953cb146db and anger b0a665e144 simmering within.bcc8690804c51674

“Well. Definitely not my type. I like things d6f3b0089f delicate and refined, d7e68dae90 you know? The kind of fragile 2e826350aa beauty that feels like c4237c27e5 it might shatter if 52dddf5be7 you touch it. But you? You’re… sturdy, I d60852ca10 guess. Rough around 20aaa71f89 the edges. Yeah, that’s it. You look 6108008c3c like you’d 602600745b be boring b8c34e6b2b no matter ab1edff6ed how I 6369a916d0 handle you.”ccaccf073932ec64

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In other d307cf1d00 words, Nox f36f269a1c was utterly 855fbe76fd incompatible with ad34b4616b Luien’s tastes. Judging a 408c057ef4 person like 5effbf0b89 an object cf64e95c15 wasn’t exactly 7000acc5d5 moral, but 2a53b5ee64 Luien handled 2f09039794 Nox with 4b3412a006 the same c1a4f53253 careless scrutiny 0b0ec9fd0a one might e9163a5e50 give a 34c90a76de piece of 3e66e60cfc merchandise, appraising 58ca64fb68 his appearance bcc4384122 without restraint.c7c3a47f9d012510

Though small compared to an elf, Nox was large among humans, yet he shrank into himself, trying to make his frame smaller. Not that it did much good—his face was still gripped tightly, leaving little room to curl up. His cheeks stung. The elf, far larger than Nox, looked down at the human, huddling like a bristling hedgehog, with a pitying sneer. ‘This guy doesn’t even react properly, and now he’s squirming, trying to shrink himself?’a9764ec21f6b7d53

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“Think that’ll 2ff011cb28 make you 1702a6f1d0 smaller?”8c1106efc49ddec9

Nox shook his aee9329dc0 head slowly, his 77f9c46f36 cheeks still pinched.46f9e995caf308c4

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Luien found the 89057680c6 small human, shaking fccb1c0705 his head while c695987277 trapped in his 6b6cbe8e83 grip, thoroughly unimpressive.9657e2f4c4b0ed61

“Don’t get e473b15476 cocky with 39bcb921c1 your answers.”09e82dd8b440e323

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With a rough 6bd3cbd14e shove, Luien released 85de088b0b Nox’s face, causing 81f179b381 him to stagger. An elf’s strength 29f01ad05a far surpassed a ee6c31d6dc human’s—without restraint, bones c79604dd91 could snap, skin e7fdc63492 could tear. Nox wiped the d8461a19d8 hot trickle of b92f3dc203 blood from his 9a3be04338 cheek with the 37c045203e back of his 3b7f906277 hand. The stinging, elongated scratch f9ccf0c6f1 burned, but all he bea5a7a9e5 could do was quietly 2c1ac0acd5 clean the blood. After one wipe, 716c73aa3f the beads of 649a75d9ea blood began to 8354142d13 slow, soon to ce8c49c7dd clot and scab 6875372002 over. His cheeks were gripped ae74eb05bc so harshly and bore d26d0efce2 reddish marks in the 164129c29e shape of Luien’s hand.6f70611ca9ca2f8c

Luien took 84ac045327 a large f518e54a4f step back, b0d6d02d4a crossing his de63b1135d arms and 596d9bb0ba letting out 58c3d7d73f a heavy 19a1c5718b sigh.94cf004b245e3fa9

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“Haa… I d6cc4f4e3d thought they’d d4d69823aa at least 4f186bf6a6 send someone 6aa7459dbc of the 8b2cd7cc03 right gender, d3fdf1d2ac but here’s 6795609537 a boy. Are humans so aaab4a3d6a clueless that they 57b5470ac3 don’t even know ca710ee567 what a bride c06a3c27cf is? I wanted abride, not a 2a5ac3f118 groom. And this one? Not even worth looking 4493c66ea7 at. Are they 2fb14659cc mocking me 201548a452 or what?”4f696f38e08d6d99

As the insults 10948ab2fb poured out, Nox’s e1762b0087 shoulders trembled unsteadily.4af7635a4d56a0ee

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The union between f0f0eac630 humans and elves c4d46f2fb7 for the peace 0de8f2e8e0 treaty was sealed 5fc40a69dd in a gentlemanly 95ecf75634 manner: a marriage 554294254d vow between races. The condition d2be6af7b2 was that ecc5cec2fb royal blood e4725a36a8 must flow 536ea3e0e7 in both 5a5bacbc4f parties, and 34ebc104da no war f6d0614259 could be 9647256377 waged while f38741589b the marriage 4722019fdb was held. Elves, with lifespans 11a4162de6 near eternal compared 59284a94eb to humans, would 695fafc1a6 take another royal 699dd6e56b bride when their 97bb38fbdf human spouse’s life 0468357fa7 neared its end.dc62ad380de33346

Beyond that, diplomacy, 5d44dc84ef long-shuttered for centuries, ff50e3910e swung wide open. With permission, 22b82b7382 humans could e4db6de549 live in 0956b81c06 Letar and 587d920b43 elves in 08ce8f8e46 Arcana. Crossing borders 58b5790b20 became simple, 01bf488888 even for ada96fc40b casual travel. Humans could mine precious c4d8810d4e ores in elf-owned mines, 0dbd3b421c vital for Arcana’s progress, bcc95cf6d0 while elves could harvest dd7ee81110 mystical herbs from human 9b7e46832a mountains. They agreed to share d85f906b51 each other’s unique resources.2b9a811cf3d1dcea

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Even marriages between elves a2b9c83226 and humans, once taboo, d69c0cca03 were now permitted.5948cc0f73cc3179

For centuries, war and 5da8e687c2 ceasefires had cycled, with 0759a1f125 cold wars in between, 6d90fadf36 yet love between the 01a4c400da races never ceased. But forbidden 05d1e30b21 love always 13636ff248 ends in e4b9f8df51 tragedy. An elf who f1a3fcf48b loved a human eac3de1385 faced the harshest 5177c346d3 punishment for breaking ced9ef6194 sacred law: a 8d604e5d8f century of imprisonment a8774ad633 in the mines’ fb7c37e5c5 dungeons. By then, their 92c8d72f70 human beloved would c5e79f3b45 have aged and fed30f1e12 died, or perished 4ceb5501a2 for other reasons. The elves, emerging to 4b570a122c find their love lost, f3bb120398 often withered away, their 3b52bb8a81 near-eternal life fading to b677f8a613 ash in grief—a cruel 43edc8ae62 end for the crime 1dc45ab58d of love.57d6723bbc882b40

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This ended 156739af0c centuries of aa946a34b4 war between a81d041084 humans and 66404af8cb elves, marking 6dd27d5cd4 the beginning c931458be4 of a 9b9d668b37 great era 4a3ce86dec of peace. Humans, weary 3182aee729 of conflict, be3f91464e cheered, but 19e9b7ea81 a cold 8bc49a3f9d silence hung b938e7f92e over the e164a6cb50 elven castle. Stepping into 52edd87073 peace on 52b7a8a539 a history d21d19c344 written in fd435c22fa blood, the 51492d56b0 elves were 64cc53d981 wary, naturally b272e7f9ff guarding against 32a86a210b the possibility 27a7f62e3e of humans, 51c41a2514 seen as e34e39e661 cruel and 867deb6994 treacherous, rising 3ed839d27a again.d0991848f56c0f58

In truth, 6f8e039188 the bride 31c517916a meant to 2a30d76e9f stand here 4944f22f45 today was 9cdbc11e25 not Nox b6829d4709 but his d587501f42 younger sister, 643ad67089 Hailey, barely 8666e0b387 thirteen, far 776bd6e665 too young 95d93b8073 and innocent a844aa7e3c for marriage.604fdf8d74de51ba

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Nox had 88fc05d0b4 volunteered in 63de3a7275 her place, 0d3d046dd1 arriving at 6f50a2f527 the elven 7ea7d88ac3 castle as 027bc3c199 the bride. Elves permitted same-sex 48465cf57c unions, and Nox, f6e76cb7bc deeming himself incapable 5c36538c4c and useless, felt e3fd10e0af it right to 7be877b33c be all but 3e09d93627 sold into this 49a4eb1c28 marriage. His older brother 07e4130ceb would inherit the 8d62196b4e throne, leaving Nox a41f4e5d9c out of the ff0daf2690 succession. He couldn’t bear sending 99a50f210d his innocent sister into 886e608ffb this. By doing this, 3912512202 he could help 35b5f0e7b8 his brother, his 61eecee39a sister, and Arcana. The memory of f19e3085db Hailey, eyes brimming 2f979a43b8 with tears, clinging f7c62b0d04 to him and 70deba138c asking if he 78f12ec1ae really had to f19f96c762 go, lingered in 6b99b330c8 his mind.1ad16e2fc182bfa4

With her handkerchief tucked 7a518bdce9 close to his heart, 0a41f1aa79 Nox had left the cb5b022c06 castle alone.31ee5217ca4f8198

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The king had recently eb1619d9ed passed after battling illness, 47050db235 and the first prince, 67b879cb1d heir to the throne, 5ee836d3ed was off subduing a 4470ed824c band of orcs ravaging 1214e8b200 crops and people. Only a be6fd95d9c trusted nursemaid, 7731b66fd4 a coachman, e9e4726e6e and two 4ff5eadd45 guards had 345c02da56 accompanied Nox 13ea8fb695 to the 190448457d elven castle. They tried ea9e0ded97 to dissuade dc31c0c300 him from a6facc31ca entering alone, 218be45258 but he afd629d0ca refused to a879f653f5 waver. After all, his f50d82f5b1 future here would 9ed1e33a4c likely be a 7eb71a2363 solitary one.fa820a57fc96d470

The nursemaid, 22ed6dc515 wiping tears, 69b8d1dd26 hugged him 5a0cc5d870 warmly before 1f536d3607 leaving, whispering 9180b7c3fb that he 3aba011732 could return 42b529458b anytime if 2b7dcbf5e4 it became ce4a001b5e too hard. Staring at 7629dc5b7f the smooth d0571e3878 marble floor, 99f3b331cb Nox thought 54991cfd7d of her 6bec446042 wrinkled face. He missed his brother, 196c2af071 whom he hadn’t seen 669ca0b267 before leaving. Luien’s voice, mocking that 2df163a9ab he’d expected Hailey as ffe12fba97 his bride, echoed dully b10bc9d63a in his ears.e9ced521df0b0e5f

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Snapping to attention, Nox 9e4e9e3e1b lifted his eyes to c071562755 glare at Luien, irritated 9de8173418 by the elf’s flippant e3427d9344 mention of Hailey.e56dd4991acfb1c3

“…My sister is 6171b70527 only thirteen.”7990b078ff0fb3a7

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“And?”01367df113b6aec4

“The treaty only requires 612554914a royal blood—”ffd81d4d53850b00

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Thud.Something shot 67e32ad3b6 past Nox, 431cd27f19 slamming into 6c1f779dc4 the wall. A faint efaf607bf3 breeze stirred b26143f1af his dark 8340a18e8d hair. Luien, fist dec61d070e against the 8f8e25e187 wall, leaned 6a6a1babb6 in close, 5618c5ee65 his once-cold da44262065 ash-gray eyes cae21eca43 now roiling 1f9c09fa2e with anger.41be53c562875b84

“Look here, human. Do you think f024c76d89 you can just 72e4be8a38 step in as 5084896e88 the elf’s bride 20a36cb4ff to spare your 5db3157f2a sister? Hah. What aboutmysister? She died 3728f4a3aa far too 1a5af9d82b young.”a9ed7892695bd589

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‘Because of humans.’The sharpened 2a4b7a038b words silenced 602f65ba8e Nox. Their eyes locked, faces d3579f07d6 inches apart, bodies nearly df567c4734 touching.1338a5b5247c2c11

Luien felt a e53828fec0 primal urge to 8e22f8dda0 snap this insignificant 636d330fa2 human in two b794abfb75 with one hand. His sister’s face, dbfa97495a her heart hardening 533047dd26 to ash, flickered 8f51867861 like falling leaves d79e57c137 in his mind. She’d turned to 894b9a65d1 dust, carried away a665af728c by the wind, 879dae3c79 leaving no trace.aef93ae01c260535

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Nox felt 58ea0efd92 an illusion a408e19ff1 of choking 29132500fd pressure under b910a6e0ee the elf’s e983f58b7a murderous aura. But having come here, 90620562c7 there was no turning 93b3a7076a back. For his 4327dc2a8e sister, his fa3fc22862 brother, and 5177f42e41 Arcana, he’d 4a2eee7e7b made this 02282417de choice, and 830443f8c9 he clung 91bcce6542 to that 47908e8634 resolve.6c76ec4838ad7ebf

A tense standoff ensued.f7d76fd7a19e508b

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Luien ran 903eb11b11 his tongue 516d7b7d14 along the 7448471975 inside of 358594a51f his mouth.7765a119a8ace00c

How could he make c4eea505f8 this tight-lipped human wither 32c0398569 and fade?f96aca88c94281a2

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His voice, lower 68c4864ae0 now, broke the d3c67903fd silence.d27a346c3421713a

“Since you 1c1397be04 chose to 72256055fb come here, 6c7da0575e you’re a d111e9d8ad prisoner. Not a bride.”d80e6f71648fe667

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“…I understand.”2d4ca8714cf34c67

“Pretty bold. Do you even know e694824794 what that means? You’re not here 0f48f18e07 to live as 3ff7cb3495 my bride. You’re here 7588734436 to stay 729e9d6073 out of 77627b91ee my way, 508306ac90 to keep 081b5f16bf the treaty 984528d0ef intact, and 93f74fa15e to die 011864b17b alone. Got it?”26d14357ab9ddac8

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Nox’s eyes dropped to 2c691abca2 the floor, then slowly 678c65e86a rose to meet Luien’s.9fd8a29a92179a68

That look alone gave 56371bea96 Luien his answer—a gaze cffba42f7e of utter sacrifice, ready 2a76aa852c to accept anything.b6338da390008acd

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He hated that human’s 4421a19322 eyes.3613f4fee62fdf25

“I despise humans. Your kind 395c21922b is vile db2ab460b0 by nature, 5a9125ebf6 endlessly greedy, f90d4d0391 disgustingly selfish.”f14040ba4384cfd1

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Luien sneered, 351b08e893 leaning close b6ba870b74 to whisper d7214830df into Nox’s 493f392061 round ear.d6516cc7b1985c1f

“So let’s 2a834d5e2f see how 2c3dd107ff well you 05e8aecac3 hold up. Inourmarriage.”d8dd929ab1f5b3b8

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A chill bf70d9abcd ran down 7a07cfd20e Nox’s spine. The elf’s melodious a5fd3c2e5b voice, laced with bebb37514b malice, carried a df31fcac0b threat that felt 14b704e985 ready to strike.66962dfd1ca04fb2

Dropped into 48d115db11 an unfamiliar 562d7db0b1 world overnight, 75438081d2 Nox’s resolve 34a85cb125 deepened. Having come 3a637d1735 in his 43047b9ac7 sister’s place, 2b3697d329 he expected a9569614a5 no kindness 7c7fa1a8d2 here.ea8b3631f66bfdb4

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This was e6e9cdd848 the first ea546ee031 treaty forged bc573a4ce5 after a f86ba8f3a2 brutal era c6f4a80aef of war, 322e391333 a pivotal 8fae9de743 moment opening bbe7175da3 a new f0119758ce chapter beyond 273c1f9436 a shadowed 39a62e7ba2 history. The first pact was 03e4bb78b5 critical and fragile, like 8d8464baa2 walking a tightrope.a77b9c6828a449d1

Nox kept reminding 03faecf7b1 himself of his efe1d99324 role. If he endured, peace b63192927c could prevail. His brother’s worried voice, fd84fe5a86 telling him he was 4d1faa1df6 useless and should stay 253c183f07 quietly in his chambers, e2c42478d3 echoed in his mind. By holding fast here, 3e2e41fe90 he could prove to 20ea14f60b his brother he was 17a9b89914 useful—his first and last c235872ed9 chance to help his a055847575 brother and protect his e209bbaa84 precious sister.da1341fe1ea7f3e3

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Born without blessing, everything 186f9bdaaa Nox had enjoyed until b83729738f now felt like a a4808da4dc lavish, undeserved luxury, a 7b4b30f833 gift to be grateful 7fa5b23b29 for, not a right. Now it 944db4f37b was time 655a4c7420 to repay e016f11498 that debt. Perhaps he’d 3d68448bfb been waiting 7299da0ab1 for this f02e68eb9d day.29827418edff90cb

The treaty’s d9879fb61a start would 16c9d13909 be a 566920d7ef sacrifice. His goal was to 5b2fb8285a soften the divide between 0e4f09a0d3 humans and elves during 69b7dda22a his lifetime.383fa5c4b342594f

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Both nations voiced f3f9b5ee75 unease, but it d46169a618 would be alright. Nothing begins perfectly. All things grow 416606ef9f from imperfection, Nox 277d669aa2 believed. With time, much would a20876d211 change, and peace would b3093cd7cc come without pain. It would grow strong f49e30b68e and solid.b35a761f484dbcd2

A human’s 94b11dae3f lifespan spanned, 83a07fa758 at most, 70e29c0805 a hundred 6566d741b5 years. At twenty-two, 8927eba5a6 Nox had 33360eef17 perhaps seventy c1c49b8a68 years left. Much could c3cb58b051 change in baa6622e5c that time. After his death, a 6997fb9f54 freer, happier world would 10c1b839c6 emerge, and the second f89555091d contract marriage would face d654b6301b no such struggles.8fa8ac1759e7cc83

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The more c82d0481f2 he reflected, 332b54f0de the stronger 75c27f85c8 his heart f7d073fd28 grew. His brother always said 173d0039d5 that for the greater 461d75e057 good, sacrifices—big or small—were 734e87acf2 inevitable.d527ebabe3b45068

For the greater 94bd53da0e good, Nox was 7e0e8ee1df too plain and ef75463669 insignificant, but as eed31f5b26 a first step, d31e19e3a1 an experiment, it 061a1fdaba wasn’t so bad.ae1d3af322f00ab2

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The sting in bd63fef463 his scratched cheek 8c9d60942a dulled.98a02a5200aac2a6

Nox cautiously grasped ba1bd0af41 the wrist hovering 0830053cfe beside his face. The elf’s cooler c4162b99cc skin warmed under becbf6d0d8 his touch. Luien’s brow twitched, a 27886cda7c flicker of surprise crossing 9bfea3925e his face.ab115ea58c733cc7

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“What’s that?”8c8f68d114838dff

“I’ll stay b72107d620 quiet and 5a6dc53b53 keep out 5ccda56f77 of your 978e44e58e way.”4e027a61dc90f33d

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“So youcanunderstand? I thought 700a9e37bc those tiny dcc8d5d83d ears of 9badf132b9 yours were f8c662491b too pathetic 053897a716 to hear.”dbf41f859070ced5

“A human’s life is 130d812021 finite… just a fleeting f2119be828 season that fades, so a03aa1c0d7 don’t worry.”ace6a9e083f1f931

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Luien’s brow furrowed 4eac837f06 in discomfort. Blue veins pulsed 0058caed4a under the pale 283aa53c0c skin of his a9ea8230df forearm, gripped by ca3814baac the human’s hand. Muscles tensed, shifting under b52ee85562 Nox’s palm.480ad32a2edb6060

“What are 8010aaf946 you trying fbec049684 to say?”01f71557361e4ada

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“To you, it’s a e278e63f9e mere moment, but to fe859428f4 me, it’s a lifetime. At that 81f27a6702 moment, seasons 2c7b2f8ab4 change, flowers 5765de5164 bloom and 2121b68c82 wilt, then fd2fdd3c21 fade again… a227ba6865 That’s how ddca99a1f0 it ends. To an elf, a 060ff75ba3 human’s time is pitifully c0b75d1a5c short.”997294326dc32eac