The vast beauty of it and the welcoming roars of the creatures in his domain did little to improve his mood. Normally, their calls would have stirred something in him pride, satisfaction, even amusement. Today, they were distant sounds against the weight in his mind.
His realm had grown during his absence.
Forests stretched farther than before. The rivers had widened, their currents stronger. Even the sky seem to shave streched longer no long as close as he remembered.
High above, the sunflower he had once placed in the heavens had changed.
It no longer resembled a plant. Its petals had fused into a radiant sphere of light, its roots merging seamlessly with the very space of the realm. It looked like a sun now, self-contained, steady, and immense. It did not carry the unbearable heat of a true star, but that was never its purpose. It was meant to provide warmth and life, nothing more.
And it did so perfectly.
