Maya's marriage raised questions throughout the community.
More humans and creatures were falling in love. More mixed couples wanted to bond. But the lifespan difference remained—creatures lived centuries, humans decades.
"How do we handle this?" the council debated.
"We handle it by trusting them," Glad advised. "Love knows its own risks. Our job isn't to protect them from heartbreak—it's to support them through it."
"But the pain—"
"Will come. For all of us. That's what love costs. Worth paying."
The council approved mixed marriages without restriction.
Love, they decided, was worth the risk.
Always.