After receiving our gold, Sophia and I go for a walk to calm her mind, then find a quiet place to talk. There's no better place than the garden at the Library of Vera. We sit on a bench near the pond. The scenery is peaceful, with beautiful flowers swaying in the gentle wind and colorful butterflies flitting around.
"Life is so full of coincidences, right?" Sophia mutters after a long silence. She looks up, then closes her eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply and slowly. "Ariella… I never thought I would meet her again, like this."
"How are you feeling now?" I turn to her.
"A lot better," she responds. "My mind was a mess back there; I couldn't think straight."
"But you know what? You did a good job," I compliment her. "It's not easy to stay calm in that situation, but I'm glad you got through it."
