Chapter 141: The Gift Beneath the Lanterns
The hum of the festival lingered behind them like the echo of a song slowly fading into the night. Lanterns still glowed along the paths, their golden light trembling in the gentle wind, while laughter and music drifted faintly from the distant heart of the celebration. Sophia's steps were slower now, the gravel crunching softly beneath her boots as she followed beside Orion down the dim, winding lane that led back to his home.
It was quieter here...the air cooler, touched with pine and faint smoke from bonfires still burning at the edge of the grounds. The sounds of the crowd dimmed with every step until only the whisper of leaves and their steady breathing filled the space between them.
