"It's been a long time."
"Indeed it has." Lucavion shook his head, his playful grin fading into something softer, more nostalgic. His tone, once light and teasing, took on a more somber note as he spoke again. "If Master were here," he began, "he would have most likely said, 'The little bear has grown up to be a splendid one.'"
The sadness in his voice wasn't overwhelming, but it was enough to make Mariel's chest tighten. There was something deeper beneath the surface of his words—something that carried a weight far greater than just the passing of time. She sensed it immediately, the shift in the atmosphere, and before she could ask the question that was already forming in her mind, Lucavion spoke again.
"It's unfortunate," he said quietly, his eyes darkening slightly, "that he can no longer ask such a question."
