Chapter 1701
Rose rose beside him. "We’ve accepted the gift. Now we become its guardians."
"And teachers," Stella said, stretching like a feline. "We can’t keep this to ourselves forever."
Zoey smirked. "We’d have to find someone first."
Susan looked thoughtful. "Or someone might find us."
They stood together, still bare, still glowing faintly in the dawn.
"I want to see the coast," Grace said. "Where we began. Where we came from."
"I want to see the mountain," Emma added. "The one that was always too far away."
"We were afraid," Rose said. "Now we aren’t."
Jude took a breath. "Then we explore. Together."
It wasn’t a declaration. It was a vow.
They packed what little they needed - fruit, dried herbs, waterskins shaped from woven leaves. Zoey kept her blade strapped to her thigh, more from habit than fear. Lucy carried a small pouch of golden moss, pressed close to her chest like a talisman.