“Lyrassa?”

  Ats murmured softly as he looked up to find the girl kneeling gracefully before him.

  “Am I interrupting your rest, My Lord?”

  “No, I’ve had enough time to rest,” he replied with a faint smile. “I just needed a moment to calm my mind.”

  He patted the spot beside him. “e.”

  Lyrassa moved fluidly, settlio his left with her legs tucked ly to the side.

  Ats khis was one of her favorite spots, so it wasn’t surprising to find her here. As a Nature Spirit, her e to the natural world was undeniable. Her talent, Forest Heartbeat, tied her to the forests and their energies, making this serene haven the perfect pce for her.

  He realized he hadn’t spent much time talking with her tely, something he had been meaning to ge. His interaining sessions were usually overseen by Kurogasa, and during his ret visit to the Lower Lands, he hadn’t brought her along.

  Even so, because of his bond with her—ohat went beyond mere loyalty. It felt deeper, a e both emotional and personal, something he couldn’t fully articute but felt profoundly.

  For a while, they sat in silence, shoulders lightly toug. The seremosphere of the area ed around them, as if the grove itself was cradling them in its peabsp;

  The soft rustling of leaves, the vibrant colors of flowers, and the cool air made it feel like they were in a world apart. Even the distant sounds of the isnd seemed uo reach this secluded haven.

  “Do you have something to…” Lyrassa’s voice broke the silence. “Something you’d like to share with me, My Lord?”

  “Share?” Ats echoed, turning his head slightly toward her.

  Lyrassa met his gaze. She nodded gently, waiting for his response.

  It was just like her. Lyrassa always seemed to know things others couldn’t sense. Whether it was someone’s hiddeions or unspoken thoughts, she had a way of reag beh the surfaore than one occasion, she’d even cimed she could hear eople were thinking.

  Ats had experiehis firsthand enough times to believe her. While this uny skill didn’t appear explicitly in her list of talents, there was no doubt it existed—and it always caught him off guard.

  "You’ve done your best for everyone, My Lord," Lyrassa said softly.

  Ats nodded slowly, aowledging her words without speaking.

  Then, without warning, Lyrassa lifted her hands aly touched his cheek. The moment her fingers made tact, Ats instinctively closed his eyes.

  A surge of ess swept through him, sileng the chaos in his mind as though her touch had shut off the relentless whirlpool of thoughts. It was as if he were floating, his body rexiirely uhe influence of her soothing presenbsp;

  He allowed the sensation to envelop him, her soft hand caressing his face, bringing a tranquility he hadn’t realized he needed.

  When he opened his eyes again, his gaze met hers. Lyrassa’s face was serene, her expression imbued with warmth and reassurance.

  "You treat everyone so well," she tinued gently. "Everyone loves you."

  Ats remained silent.

  "You’ve carried this great responsibility with such strength," she went on. "And you’ve exceeded everyone’s expectations."

  Her eyes seemed to pull him in. Ats felt himself drawn, as though hypnotized by the quiet iy in her gaze.

  "But," she said, her voice dropping into an even softer tone, "we ’t navigate this kind of battle, this kind of world, with pure hearts alone."

  Her right hand moved to rest on his chest.

  "For some people," she tinued, "killing is not natural. It’s not something they accept. It’s not something they see as right."

  Ats shook his head slowly.

  Her words cut too close, eg the turmoil that had taken root in his thoughts—the weight of the wars he’d fought, the lives taken, and the people who had died in servi.

  Could she feel the chaos in my mind?

  The lingering doubts, the guilt of every life lost in these battles, of those who gave their lives for me?

  Lyrassa’s gaze softened as she drew her hand back slightly, resting it gently on her p. Her voice was calm yet profound as she spoke.

  "My Lord," she began, "do you know what it truly means to exist as part of nature?"

  Ats tilted his head slightly, listening ily.

  "It means to grow, to nurture, to protect," she tinued. "But it also means to destroy, to take life when it is necessary. Nature thrives on baweeion aru, between pead war."

  Her expression grew pensive, her eyes meeting him. "For turies, I have fought battles of my own. I have stood by and defended every Lord who called upon me, giving my all—eve meant taking lives."

  She paused, her words hanging in the air between them.

  "It was not easy," she admitted softly. "Every branch broken, every bde of grass trampled, every life taken weighed on me."

  Her voice faltered for a moment, then steadied as she went on.

  "But I learned something valuable. To protect what is precious, we must sometimes bee the storm that shatters the branches. We must be the fire that burns away the rowth. It is not an act of cruelty, but one of y. Nature itself abides by this truth. When a tree falls, its death enriches the soil, making way for new growth. When a predator hunts, it ensures ban the ecosystem, keeping life sustainable for all."

  Leaning in slightly, her tone grew eveler.

  "I have survived battles not by hardening my heart, but by accepting this bance. I do not fight for vengeance lory. I fight for those who ot defend themselves alone, for the future that deserves to be nurtured. Yes, I have taken lives, but I have also saved them, healed them, and guided those lost back to the light."

  Her gaze softened even more.

  "The burdens you carry now, no matter how heavy, are part of this bance. We do not take life without purpose, and we do not fight for ourselves alone. Every battle, every sacrifice, is for those under your care. And though it pains you, that pain is a gift—it keeps you human. It keeps your heart aligned with what truly matters."

  She pced her hand lightly on his chest once more, the warmth of her touch grounding him in the moment.

  "Even in the darkest of battles, you still grow. Just as nature ehrough storms and droughts, so will you. You are strohan you realize, My Lord."

  Ats smiled softly at Lyrassa's expnation. It was, without a doubt, a unique perspective—one shaped by her own experiences and e to nature. Yet, as he listened, he found himself transting her words into something that resonated with his own uanding.

  “That’s certainly a unique perspective, Lyrassa. Thanks,” he said with a quiet chuckle.

  Lyrassa smiled back, shaking her head gently. "I only said what o be said. But remember, My Lord, it’s you who has fought to reach this point. I know you have the strength to aplish far greater things."

  Ats nodded slowly. "I sure do."

  For a moment, their eyes met, and the tranquility in her presence drew Ats closer. Almost instinctively, he leaned iing against her and allowing himself to fall into her embrace.

  In her arms, he found a warmth and peace he hadn’t realized he needed. It wasn’t just fort—it was grounding, a quiet reassurahat seemed to piece together the fragments of his weary mind.

  They remained like that for some time, the minutes slipping by unnoticed. Gradually, the tension in his body eased, and crity began to settle over his thoughts.

  At some point, without realizing it, Ats had rested his head in her p. Lyrassa cradled him patiently, her touch gentle and deliberate as if she uood the depth of his exhaustion. The grove around them remaiill, its serenity ing them in ahereal calm.

  Time passed, and Ats eventually stirred, the haze of sleep lifting as he remembered his upiing with Edrik and Kurogasa to discuss his new css.