TECB Chapter 1.1

“For someone who strutted bc9226051b in as a bride, 364b6e9f70 you’re awfully passive. What was your 2bff461152 name again? Nux? Nix?”ec3300ade1ddfcef

Only then did 13ed9e7652 the tightly sealed 401692adff lips part slowly. Nox’s eyes remained fixed 0cbbb61544 downward.b43e993e2add323d

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“…It’s Nox.”10e9ed2528135d2b

“Oh, right,Ex!”d6ab9279a3b8ea46

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Nox’s body e55c61cee3 flinched at 55f050b023 the deliberate b95ff990ff mispronunciation, the e378318215 words chewed 3678e790fd and spat dfe20d4903 out with 3e158fd903 clear intent. The elf 3476e273e9 before him, bb5252c14b Luien, openly 59b0c3500e aimed to eba19599fa rile him 4a706bc6b4 up, drawling, 83a1753db2 “Mm, Ex, huh? Ex, Ex… fits 1f1ad8f2af you perfectly…” Each time d1a180eb3c he mangled the a4f4236820 name, Luien’s grip 0fe481aa58 tightened on Nox’s 08ed93f526 cheeks, sharp nails b8db042440 digging into tender 949ff4d0a3 human skin. Crimson beads 08341a7574 of blood 05354626ae welled up e8ff4a32f6 where the 05c91e9764 flesh gave 9637b80521 way. Luien’s eyes glinted as a28a83a0f1 he noticed the slight a14272fdd9 wince in Nox’s furrowed 7f0b7a1602 brow, the pain betraying 8ad75455e6 itself in the human’s 0b2d3b70e0 expression.5c6e90f9c402da8a

“All I wanted was 580826b23d a small, pretty bride, 4e5fcea80e but our dearExhere doesn’t meet a 01c6373c9c single one of my 39909cd910 standards, does he? Even for ebf6514780 a human, dc86a3bbe9 you’re pretty c9661c601d tall… and 983213b7bf your face…”5bb78610dfa27f19

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Luien’s careless hand 2efdf19045 turned Nox’s captured 3129ba23f9 face side to 563a92004d side, inspecting every 677dc780b3 angle. His ash-gray d1aaaf8331 eyes, low ace43554f5 and brooding, 23f8abf02a couldn’t hide e72f92f165 the hostility 2ace9978f4 and anger 61e1f4a793 simmering within.5b60550c377e6771

“Well. Definitely not 617b397947 my type. I like things c79a625c5d delicate and refined, 94f0304d31 you know? The kind of fragile 304d971dab beauty that feels like 85d46608d5 it might shatter if 66d4c2b2bf you touch it. But you? You’re… sturdy, I aadda0fd6b guess. Rough around the e975af2ef5 edges. Yeah, that’s it. You look like 5bc750afb5 you’d be boring 18f9f7364b no matter how b05aa94e88 I handle you.”5dd607a5420a8ef6

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In other words, Nox 5f9720a78e was utterly incompatible with 4023921201 Luien’s tastes. Judging a person fe394a48c3 like an object 82ec1b4691 wasn’t exactly moral, 9707e6faa8 but Luien handled ed3eb732d0 Nox with the 7e21dcc00a same careless scrutiny a50f683d85 one might give a0c53e0b2c a piece of 517b1fe9ab merchandise, appraising his 7375df7f68 appearance without restraint.de44c09c8c9419c6

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?’d370afdc12f65860

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“Think that’ll c65f96b17b make you f117a7e98b smaller?”a716769903795648

Nox shook fba7b86f8b his head 1b31baff20 slowly, his ff6d7a5b25 cheeks still bbc96cd3ef pinched.09d2168f144c71e5

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Luien found the small 79e7cb8f00 human, shaking his head 2e718dbeb4 while trapped in his dbbd762c30 grip, thoroughly unimpressive.7a3685fad061e807

“Don’t get cocky with 542badbd20 your answers.”84a06aff1b327c90

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With a rough b74095cc9e shove, Luien released 4c58d2184b Nox’s face, causing 28d3ebf13a him to stagger. An elf’s strength 2514e4f23a far surpassed a 959ac9bcd6 human’s—without restraint, bones 14afe17c7e could snap, skin 1c936e4180 could tear. Nox wiped the d761fdbc7f hot trickle of 16a5256d42 blood from his 1747fded44 cheek with the e867c1e217 back of his ffdeb31438 hand. The stinging, 30cbb9251a elongated scratch 18578ce76d burned, but a748e173ab all he 90c0242a0a could do 14edefd9c5 was quietly ee49c7dad0 clean the 482a462d91 blood. After one wipe, the e4bcd63488 beads of blood began 34a8ae3c84 to slow, soon to 465d3f1130 clot and scab over. His cheeks were fc99d4bea2 gripped so harshly d6ff36eebd and bore reddish 565b02ee7f marks in the 843030a099 shape of Luien’s 8d01110873 hand.4112f43a626598f7

Luien took 4af22c0eb4 a large f43e5a110f step back, 74406a0d40 crossing his dca5898252 arms and 9f58756286 letting out 403a36d89f a heavy 92e292b4bb sigh.9d302efe07eae1b9

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“Haa… I 07d370d2bf thought they’d d8a1382621 at least c142a72739 send someone 8264392147 of the e69c763a85 right gender, 1d238f5eb2 but here’s 9e1d8b960d a boy. Are humans so clueless cbef00ad6d that they don’t even b157571bd9 know what a bride 99d09250d0 is? I wanted abride, not a groom. And this one? Not even worth 70c6ff1b30 looking at. Are they mocking 0d02a2435f me or what?”7b41dc2a7f9bc18b

As the insults poured 2f3f8a08e5 out, Nox’s shoulders trembled 7a0aab73bf unsteadily.7434f9691118d10d

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The union between humans 786d695104 and elves for the 32b3e732f0 peace treaty was sealed 501c901963 in a gentlemanly manner: 7d9a844074 a marriage vow between aba8caf45a races. The condition was that 7f514c7ea4 royal blood must flow c3c55045c5 in both parties, and 88cb38df2a no war could be 61377f86cc waged while the marriage 601068fac1 was held. Elves, with 6c017a6804 lifespans near 9093380707 eternal compared 71a74291be to humans, 73ce0d6047 would take 457213475b another royal 9e03de12b2 bride when a0bb280d5e their human 21ff69d819 spouse’s life c8b8f6797a neared its 780734a522 end.d01f8b96253233d6

Beyond that, 2e8a3f1df0 diplomacy, long-shuttered 5c646b866a for centuries, bb91b7d012 swung wide 744f530f71 open. With permission, 5cf2b50739 humans could 7d5b4aa690 live in 5b58dc7150 Letar and 8b04aafa8a elves in 0b8c0b5b64 Arcana. Crossing borders became simple, 0a80de2076 even for casual travel. Humans could 0e1c948f3c mine precious 77a982e37d ores in 8bcd80b309 elf-owned mines, 28783ab55d vital for d06c1b771f Arcana’s progress, f56863cd73 while elves 59243b725b could harvest 06fa6d7a55 mystical herbs a76971cdcb from human 80266c7fcb mountains. They agreed to share f87dbffa9b each other’s unique resources.4394e8e6fc1a7792

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Even marriages between elves f3dd366536 and humans, once taboo, 843a5e8712 were now permitted.877f831c49a0fd21

For centuries, war ecd114fa27 and ceasefires had 1adb59de06 cycled, with cold f50e8aa7eb wars in between, 55f8f8ae6e yet love between 7988c87ead the races never aa229b5691 ceased. But forbidden love cfe6170c96 always ends in 1f24e96db9 tragedy. An elf 5998f49b59 who loved eb68859046 a human 058a2271ff faced the 0473fb0a3f harshest punishment eaa16feb28 for breaking 4c303dd03b sacred law: 4c05e75bfd a century b6249eecf8 of imprisonment 51665bda38 in the 7a8045b8b6 mines’ dungeons. By then, their bbb1ef8740 human beloved would 06857196b8 have aged and 0eb1136ea0 died, or perished a9938a126e for other reasons. The elves, emerging to 7ac474550f find their love lost, de4663f98b often withered away, their c310c93e66 near-eternal life fading to 3c3078fb4d ash in grief—a cruel e6b5f7adc8 end for the crime 0aaa468fe3 of love.5bc6e65d80b6dfa7

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This ended 10ea147b24 centuries of 9b59905161 war between d8ff624c4d humans and 97c0bc0eb3 elves, marking 08862426dc the beginning b99c916b7f of a e6be064ed1 great era a1f6bde7e3 of peace. Humans, weary of 12c38c92ba conflict, cheered, but 2c6395448b a cold silence cc25b47865 hung over the 8c8b34fe95 elven castle. Stepping into peace on 68167cba9a a history written in 5cf37f59d2 blood, the elves were ee715e505d wary, naturally guarding against e22850af6a the possibility of humans, 3163b1b7d3 seen as cruel and 4cb91ebb89 treacherous, rising again.52a82078eeac46fd

In truth, b4dad34949 the bride fda4b569bc meant to bdc5e6b016 stand here fd1fe0d0fb today was 830192928e not Nox d53c350b74 but his 88f2c50c8e younger sister, 3d083e04cf Hailey, barely f6ad387a1e thirteen, far 5090e2e82a too young 5160f92d42 and innocent 8ffd54adf1 for marriage.29c200663609f6f9

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Nox had c7deec70ec volunteered in 69c30c9964 her place, 35ab7a4ff4 arriving at e3f5726433 the elven bc0522ea8d castle as c367733618 the bride. Elves permitted same-sex unions, 3f09045154 and Nox, deeming himself 1bdf7dbc75 incapable and useless, felt a6ab89c2cb it right to be 1780b4d4e4 all but sold into d243ee0cd6 this marriage. His older c1cf1a7012 brother would c30dde0308 inherit the ef7d15cda1 throne, leaving 63f4e050d8 Nox out b72b01028e of the c2540d4914 succession. He couldn’t bear sending 4c766d4eed his innocent sister into 609df4de9e this. By doing 47ffa5041e this, he 7f588d69ff could help ad53141362 his brother, 178246e515 his sister, 6bbcdbbb70 and Arcana. The memory of bacaf5ffa4 Hailey, eyes brimming 5a56df4d0e with tears, clinging 005151e9a5 to him and 3d754fd06b asking if he b178f2ce70 really had to 55debc83bb go, lingered in 829ac8c419 his mind.136edf65ed21de99

With her 6114711c45 handkerchief tucked 707a9d49b7 close to 1e991eddd7 his heart, a45ef1af5d Nox had 4da1901b9d left the 1e56f3a7e2 castle alone.9730826b0e5abde6

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The king 6bc14da5f9 had recently c038bf68f3 passed after 387d75bfd9 battling illness, 9b35ea368f and the 7cf89c87ea first prince, ed8b41a6dc heir to a223db0f19 the throne, 283b0d1d45 was off ef485b23dd subduing a 5019e58d06 band of 8fe09f4e8f orcs ravaging 87267c90d0 crops and 64a8043bb8 people. Only a trusted nursemaid, bfbbd3a429 a coachman, and two 192623cb90 guards had accompanied Nox dfc591476d to the elven castle. They tried to a187b9a2a9 dissuade him from 3997d0a8d0 entering alone, but 7df46642d2 he refused to 8363134bff waver. After all, his future 074711cc92 here would likely be 1fef5654fc a solitary one.1536962ec3e42c89

The nursemaid, bd0a7c3bad wiping tears, 5db2e89f92 hugged him 50a4f72c6e warmly before 2f7f941986 leaving, whispering 2bd8de604b that he c8429a6af4 could return 3d3b1338f4 anytime if a79ac32ffd it became 49f2162552 too hard. Staring at the smooth 6a2d7205ec marble floor, Nox thought f888059d70 of her wrinkled face. He missed his e2838085ab brother, whom he 90c21eec32 hadn’t seen before d06bede419 leaving. Luien’s voice, mocking f8ebb2c34e that he’d expected eeca7b2116 Hailey as his 6dd60f6631 bride, echoed dully 91e2927992 in his ears.2d73996be1977e86

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Snapping to 3ba8564b65 attention, Nox f3921b02a5 lifted his d1b836e267 eyes to a75c946960 glare at 9886658292 Luien, irritated 26b027142d by the f067feb0b9 elf’s flippant 681bfc2928 mention of d9817258f6 Hailey.48cc2b3ebfbf1fbd

“…My sister 655bcc0d99 is only 8b9c723599 thirteen.”2da1a15c9a4c773a

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“And?”7e950daf24566f81

“The treaty 16bd5876d7 only requires e9ee072f9a royal blood—”50b77d11e08cd98d

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Thud.Something shot past 9b5334d435 Nox, slamming into 48fcf75a5f the wall. A faint breeze stirred 8ed139ad60 his dark hair. Luien, fist against 8ec0a49c3d the wall, leaned 6a1af6596c in close, his cce620ab2e once-cold ash-gray eyes 834e930c27 now roiling with 9e0a310933 anger.6c0e7097c15931ee

“Look here, human. Do you think you 3f099c5378 can just step in f0c630a43d as the elf’s bride ba6d0799a2 to spare your sister? Hah. What aboutmysister? She died far b314046547 too young.”87c493174bfcab4d

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‘Because of humans.’The sharpened words silenced 878b78cd92 Nox. Their eyes locked, faces 79ed34fc8c inches apart, bodies nearly 8de551fef6 touching.f35a561bd39e0813

Luien felt bdf3783b22 a primal 7a04b6a32f urge to d3ea4dec37 snap this 9ceace8322 insignificant human 09cebd538b in two c8b42d5348 with one 6802e084af hand. His sister’s face, d094a62a29 her heart hardening 3e2f8dead6 to ash, flickered 3a7ec171a2 like falling leaves 8818963d8a in his mind. She’d turned to dust, 99ddd1941d carried away by the ddda456ab3 wind, leaving no trace.7ded7a9a90d14424

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Nox felt an 80a1028048 illusion of choking a956d82ef5 pressure under the aad3738758 elf’s murderous aura. But having come here, 4f95bdd898 there was no turning dd9a9434ad back. For his 846153a08c sister, his f6a9c2aad5 brother, and aba3cbde70 Arcana, he’d c5c4e2d24c made this 9ee0024047 choice, and 513bf6c5d0 he clung 2a5204dd91 to that d15d6402c8 resolve.d83e43999690d7e7

A tense standoff ensued.5cde327f447970c0

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Luien ran his tongue 4c91838a02 along the inside of 7bb9c823ab his mouth.f1de7e2ca27c9adb

How could he 8c47315c6c make this tight-lipped 51ababbcde human wither and 59fb2145f5 fade?d00a7fa7ea4abf92

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His voice, lower 9b5e900d72 now, broke the b24c2a6532 silence.a57baaa60e701266

“Since you 20e25382e9 chose to 1b715efd9f come here, d10cea08f8 you’re a bc7563fb97 prisoner. Not a bride.”9d452ba84202f84a

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“…I understand.”ea56f1b4c834a6b8

“Pretty bold. Do you dcfe026a57 even know 0f917ff4a6 what that 69f8c31fa5 means? You’re not 30a9dd49ec here to 580e66ca33 live as 7c8a554c6c my bride. You’re here to stay 2250534b65 out of my way, 6fd6f34d72 to keep the treaty 58190eba0d intact, and to die a75d698f91 alone. Got it?”e91097bd8d23ffbf

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Nox’s eyes dropped eb812a8d5e to the floor, 87f43a8c12 then slowly rose cadb91e888 to meet Luien’s.9651b37d1d3397f8

That look alone gave 347ebf667f Luien his answer—a gaze 8c1b9f50c1 of utter sacrifice, ready fab963a424 to accept anything.d89b551167ac25c4

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He hated that afa067ce2a human’s eyes.2aa4f2162f604997

“I despise humans. Your kind is 3391757313 vile by nature, fbdd172a05 endlessly greedy, disgustingly 247bb3b705 selfish.”30e8e16fd117512a

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Luien sneered, 0694d506fd leaning close 6e0af093c4 to whisper f3135ec594 into Nox’s f4600bcb92 round ear.73d4ef7e850c0bad

“So let’s see cb9d217dec how well you 4c2e97ea8e hold up. Inourmarriage.”447896d9308c7689

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A chill ran down 4a83d2515f Nox’s spine. The elf’s melodious fe30e78f7f voice, laced with f0907bf029 malice, carried a 0da7ef38f7 threat that felt a6ac76d4bd ready to strike.f4d2a63ebd1f5174

Dropped into an unfamiliar 483c055274 world overnight, Nox’s resolve e40d36fcb6 deepened. Having come in his 8f7c1a2849 sister’s place, he expected 95021981ef no kindness here.7b43b21e27a7c5aa

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This was the acf206ce89 first treaty forged 3e253725e4 after a brutal f51623ae72 era of war, d2701348e1 a pivotal moment 1b64fd281f opening a new b89d3f7546 chapter beyond a 7a1a5cba2c shadowed history. The first 3d28b2e25d pact was 5f988ed54c critical and 1b4d3baccd fragile, like b776adf6d1 walking a c565ed38bb tightrope.3e16a86c0a8701ce

Nox kept reminding himself d7199a7d31 of his role. If he 3d81f8f783 endured, peace f9bcb2953f could prevail. His brother’s worried 723ffb1b56 voice, telling him dcec2c0acf he was useless 7becdcfb52 and should stay 15f1119988 quietly in his 3ea50bdded chambers, echoed in bce52f3735 his mind. By holding fast 00e5a8254e here, he could 481298567c prove to his 7f5b29b6b7 brother he was 6aed8c0f81 useful—his first and c8ac0999f8 last chance to cc47684e29 help his brother 47a3d67e98 and protect his 76ba316c98 precious sister.4cdafedb3255c50e

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Born without blessing, everything 0d88131c48 Nox had enjoyed until 53410ef475 now felt like a 3b0dd8a253 lavish, undeserved luxury, a b6a203f863 gift to be grateful 18ffaa6b7e for, not a right. Now it was 52a43638e2 time to repay c4d5c24fd9 that debt. Perhaps he’d been c6574dd6c3 waiting for this fb416f793f day.8f1295b0af6291ed

The treaty’s start 2662221b27 would be a 708b8d0cd9 sacrifice. His goal was to 5f839424da soften the divide between d6b9d4db7c humans and elves during 129bb9a325 his lifetime.c90919c947fa1e5d

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Both nations 4fbbe1dd27 voiced unease, 11af7f6d93 but it 4685a774eb would be 55dffe11a2 alright. Nothing begins perfectly. All things grow adca5ee302 from imperfection, Nox 2ddd590542 believed. With time, much would fe4a15fe7a change, and peace would 6932b496a9 come without pain. It would 6e24d9870c grow strong 24504551ef and solid.ee425384735111a1

A human’s fc10377216 lifespan spanned, 5a51c976a2 at most, 2b271d2ab7 a hundred 9a133b6263 years. At twenty-two, Nox had 7b379c6a2b perhaps seventy years left. Much could change in 1a3529a19c that time. After his death, a 3007bbe973 freer, happier world would 4fd05e287e emerge, and the second 4177c9bb0b contract marriage would face f3237436f9 no such struggles.c6bb3e431a461d49

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The more he 6afc2e9d7d reflected, the stronger 6ece73c151 his heart grew. His brother always said 8fd6f207f1 that for the greater a892cb63c0 good, sacrifices—big or small—were 363f3b829f inevitable.202c9f8ada19d0fe

For the greater bb897e8419 good, Nox was 7e43363ccc too plain and db9147255f insignificant, but as 49730abf0e a first step, 76527a763a an experiment, it fea5774c4d wasn’t so bad.94b6ceabc311272e

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The sting in his d9594a47c8 scratched cheek dulled.ca17ed5bdad277b3

Nox cautiously fa9b1a139a grasped the f1dc9bb817 wrist hovering dad152dfe5 beside his 8cefc717aa face. The elf’s cooler skin 2c6fb53382 warmed under his touch. Luien’s brow 8789f0459e twitched, a 1650e57ee4 flicker of 1ac6ce1a60 surprise crossing 8e5a67119e his face.4f49c85c0999e01f

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“What’s that?”5bc46f163906d6df

“I’ll stay f53ed245a1 quiet and 63a2b61aae keep out b587d30c89 of your 502ced6030 way.”7d77808092f5f22a

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“So youcanunderstand? I thought those tiny 957b25a069 ears of yours were 42557a71fc too pathetic to hear.”80bcfd1eb4c52e44

“A human’s 1215177857 life is 251aa08a1f finite… just bac5cdcf01 a fleeting 9f8d5b5ab5 season that b21094caf6 fades, so 6c237bcab2 don’t worry.”8b9c2a7e56872656

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Luien’s brow furrowed 971134b75a in discomfort. Blue veins pulsed under b21fdb78d6 the pale skin of a72c06d85b his forearm, gripped by f61767bd6f the human’s hand. Muscles tensed, 32e02f92f9 shifting under 13c749c3cf Nox’s palm.80fcdc428f72f433

“What are you b686e56620 trying to say?”56c8ee9027e171c9

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“To you, dc48251055 it’s a 71e6913087 mere moment, b1abb0d9a5 but to f036b75fab me, it’s 6311a5710a a lifetime. At that moment, cc9c0f9706 seasons change, flowers 9655abff51 bloom and wilt, 7a7273fd5d then fade again… eab51f1d13 That’s how it 1867b201d7 ends. To an elf, ae32a6f56b a human’s time 481fd4e4c2 is pitifully short.”0b05745da359e606