By the time Micah returned to Isatis City, spring had completely taken over.
It was not the hesitant early spring where the wind still carried winter's chill. It was in full bloom. The kind that arrived only after winter had given its final stubborn push, the kind that promised there would be no more cold days. The sky stretched high and clear above the city, a soft blue brushed with thin streaks of white clouds drifting lazily as if they had nowhere urgent to be. The air was warmer now, carrying the faint scent of damp soil and blossoms. Even the light seemed different: brighter, golden, livelier.
Cherry trees lined the long avenue leading toward the university campus. Their branches were heavy with pale pink petals, so full that they bent slightly under their own beauty. Whenever the breeze swept through, petals loosened and fluttered down like quiet snowfall. They gathered on sidewalks, clung to parked cars, brushed against shoulders and hair.
