The water danced through my fingers, soft and velvety.
Something caught my eye beneath the surface.
Starfish. Glowing. Blue and pink and violet. Bioluminescent creatures curled lazily on the pond’s bottom, their light pulsing faintly like heartbeats.
“I think I’m dreaming,” I whispered.
“Nope,” Rebecca replied, coming up beside me. “This is all real.”
“It looks like Pandora,” Tessa said, spinning slowly. “Like the soul tree should be just over that hill.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” I said, eyes wide. “Avatar vibes. All over.”
“This place is unreal,” Marley murmured, crouching next to a glowing lily pad. “How does something like this even exist?”
“Fae magic,” Rachele answered simply.
We wandered deeper into the valley, voices hushed as though speaking too loudly would break t
