The observation platform remained quiet for a moment longer, the forest canopy stretching endlessly beneath them like a living ocean. Wind moved gently through the leaves, carrying the faint glow of drifting motes and the distant sounds of the settlement resuming its rhythm.
Then Lyla straightened, the weight of confession settling back into something firm and controlled.
"Come," she said softly, "There is still much for you to see."
She turned and led them onward into the settlement. They passed artisan groves where Dark Elves shaped living crystal into armor and jewelry, their fingers weaving mana and material together with breathtaking precision.
They crossed platforms where healers worked quietly, tending to wounded rangers and scouts injured in recent skirmishes, soft green and violet light washing over bandaged limbs.
