The garden takes my breath away.
The sun is setting, painting everything in gold and amber, and the Ether is awake but gentle—soft curls of mist threading through the grass like silk. But that's not what stops me cold.
Floating orbs of warm light hover above a long, low table like captured fireflies. Bioluminescent flowers I've never seen before sway in the evening breeze, casting everything in a soft, otherworldly glow. The table is surrounded by cushions and blankets, with food laid out that smells like comfort and home.
It's beautiful. Intimate. Perfect.
And clearly arranged for us.
"Mairen," I whisper. "This is..."
She guides me to a cushion at the head of the table, then kneels beside me. Her eyes are bright with unshed tears.
"Thank you," she says, voice thick with emotion. "Not just for the sanctuary. For the home you built without even meaning to."
I don't understand. "What home?"
"The houses," she says, gesturing toward the forest edge. "The ones that grew when you walked through the trees this morning. My friend Kira—she's been traveling for weeks, sleeping rough, caring for her baby girl alone. And the house you made for her..." She wipes her eyes. "It was exactly what she needed. Like you saw her without even meeting her. Like you made her feel chosen."
My throat goes tight. "I didn't even know she was there."
"That's what makes it beautiful," Mairen says softly. "You didn't do it for credit or recognition. You just... cared. And it shows."
Before I can respond, footsteps approach from behind us. I turn to see the others stepping into the garden one by one.
Rhett stiffens first, eyes scanning the floating lights like he's checking for threats. Wes looks directly at me, something soft and uncertain in his expression. Gray notices the bioluminescent flowers with quiet appreciation. Jace just stops and stares, mouth slightly open. Theo whispers, "What is this?"
Thane and Stellan follow behind them, both taking in the scene with different kinds of surprise.
I open my mouth to explain, but Mairen speaks first.
"She made it for you," she says simply. "All of you. For us."
Rhett frowns. "Made what?"
Mairen gestures toward the forest. "The houses. The safe spaces. The way people are gathering without fear." Her voice grows stronger. "We didn't even have to knock. The doors just opened. Like she knew what we needed before we did."
The silence that follows is heavy with something I can't name.
"Come," Mairen says, rising from her knees. "Eat. Talk. Just... be together."
We settle around the table in a quiet that feels sacred instead of awkward. The food is warm and perfect, and the floating lights cast everything in a gentle glow that makes even the sharp edges feel softer.
For a while, no one speaks. We just eat, lost in our own thoughts.
Then Jace clears his throat.
"I fucked up this morning," he says quietly. "What I said—the way I talked about it like it was funny. I shouldn't have. I always make it a joke when I don't know how to handle whatever is happening." He looks directly at me. "But you were right there, and I didn't think. I'm sorry."
Rhett sets down his fork. "I noticed something was wrong. Could see it in the way you stepped back, went quiet. But I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure it was my place." He pauses. "Now I know it always is. When it comes to you."
Gray's voice is quiet when he speaks. "I saw you walk away. I should have gone after you."
"I should've stopped Jace," Theo adds. "I didn't. And that's on me too."
Wes is quiet for a long moment, then looks up. "I let myself be wanted by people I don't care about... and let the person who matters walk away."
The admission hangs in the air between us, weighted with everything that happened in the hallway.
