Chapter 205. The Morning After

Celeste’s POV

By the time morning began to break the horizon, Eryndor and I were still engrossed in recounting every detail of our shared ordeal. We had talked ourselves into the early hours, and as a result neither of us stirred before the sun’s pale light had fully warmed the sky. I’d expected the following day to be hectic—there had been so much to sort through after our trials—but in truth, it turned out to be remarkably ordinary.

Our primary tasks consisted of gathering ingredients for the evening meal and tidying up the scattered debris around the village. I set out with basket in hand, making my way from patch to patch: mint and rosemary in one corner, onions and leeks in another. The wind carried the scent of pine and damp earth, and each step reminded me of how far removed I was from the rush of the human world. I clipped sprigs of herbs, dropped carrots and potatoes into my basket, and offered a silent prayer of thanks that the chores were as simple as t