"This is wrong," the girl paced before the barrier, moonlight casting shifting shadows across her face. "All of this is wrong."
"Is it?" Zahyla floated lazily, watching the internal struggle play out before her. "Or have you simply been taught that it's wrong to desire so intensely?"
"You don't understand..."
"Oh, but I do understand. I understand the pain of seeing something you desire more than anything, just out of your reach. I understand the frustration of settling for crumbs when you could have the entire feast."
The girl stopped, her fists clenched tight enough to whiten her knuckles. "What if someone gets hurt?"
"Someone always gets hurt." Zahyla shrugged. "The question is: would you prefer to be the one eternally hurting?"
♢♢♢♢
"Mei's been different since she took that potion with Lila," Aria commented while they inspected the growth of the new trees, their branches reaching toward the sky like hopeful fingers. "More distant."
