The trio continued eastward along the winding dirt trail as dusk settled over the hills. The sky bled from gold to deep indigo, the first stars pricking through like scattered diamonds. With their auras suppressed and the amulet keeping Ignis's presence in check, the forest around them finally behaved normally—birds called in the canopy, small creatures rustled in the underbrush, and the evening felt almost ordinary.
Almost.
Ignis could not stop looking around. Her golden eyes darted from one wonder to the next: the way fireflies began to drift between the trees, the silhouette of a distant deer grazing on a hillside, the faint scent of night-blooming flowers carried on the breeze. Every few steps she spun in place or craned her neck, crimson hair whipping around her face.
"Adam! Look at that—the moon's coming up already! It's huge!"
A moment later, "Whoa, those bugs are lighting up like tiny suns!"
Then, "The grass smells so good! Why does everything smell so good?!"
