The days were growing longer, each one softening Charlisa's presence into the rhythm of the village. She had learned to weave rushes for baskets, to identify the edible roots the elders prized, and to walk the hanging bridges without a tremble. Still, it was the quiet evenings that called to her most—especially the ones spent with Kael.
Tonight, Kael had asked her to follow him beyond the village, past the vine-covered trees and up a narrow trail that wound through the forest. The sky bled soft oranges into twilight, and the sounds of birds gave way to the hum of dusk insects.
They walked in easy silence until they crested a small hill. What lay beyond took Charlisa's breath.
A garden—wild, yet clearly tended—stretched before them in a ripple of soft purples. Lavender, growing in curved rows among stones and moss. The scent drifted toward her like a memory.
"I didn't think lavender grew here," she murmured.
Kael crouched, brushing a finger across the silvery leaves. "It doesn't. Not easily. I traded seeds from a traveler moons ago. Spent many seasons learning where they would root."
Charlisa knelt beside him, touching a blooming stalk gently. "They remind me of home. My mother grew them near our kitchen window."
Kael looked at her then, eyes steady but softer than she'd ever seen. "I wanted to show you something that felt... peaceful. This place is quiet. Like you."
She smiled faintly. "Thank you. It's beautiful."
They sat there for a while, the silence not empty but full. Full of something budding and fragile.
After a while, Kael spoke again, his voice low. "I've lived alone for many seasons. My kind... we don't bond easily. But when we do, it's for life. I want... I want you to know, Charlisa, I see a future. One where you're not just part of the village—but part of my home. My family."
Charlisa turned to face him, her heart thudding quietly in her chest.
She thought of her mother's warm voice, of her father's gentle touch on her shoulder, of evenings filled with shared silence and laughter. Family had always been more than blood to her—it was trust. Steady presence. Space to be vulnerable without fear.
She met his eyes. "Family means everything to me. It's built over time, with care. If you're offering something real, Kael, then yes... I'd like to walk that path with you."
Something shifted in his expression—like relief layered over hope. He took her hand gently, claws careful not to graze.
The lavender swayed in the wind around them.
And for the first time since waking in this strange world, Charlisa felt the beginnings of belonging take root—not just in the soil beneath her, but in the quiet space between two hearts learning to trust.