The hidden grove breathed around them like a quiet, slumbering heart. Vines curled lazily over broken stone, and the faint glow of semi-sentient flowers pulsed gently with each exhale of wind. Lira knelt on the soft moss, spreading her tools and journals before her.
"This place…" she whispered, eyes tracing the delicate threads of light that ran through the roots. "It's almost alive in a different way than the Grove. Softer. Curious… but cautious."
Renkai crouched beside her, brushing his fingers through some of the smaller luminescent leaves. "I like it," he said, voice low, "but I can't stop thinking about home. About the Grove. You… you can't just plant pieces of other worlds there without knowing the consequences."
Lira glanced up at him, her smile gentle but resolute. "I know. That's why I'm taking notes, testing resonance first. I'm not going to just dump anything into the Grove."
