*Briella*

We had been at it since the moon was high, its silvery glow now giving way to the soft blush of dawn. My muscles ached from the relentless labor, but I could not allow myself to give in to fatigue—not when so much was at stake. The elders and healers moved around me, their faces etched with the weariness of the night's work, yet their hands never ceased in their meticulous preparations for the healing ceremony.

"Another vial of starflower extract, if you ...