The moment I stepped fully into their world, something in me… stilled.
It was not what I expected. There were no grand marble roads, no towering spires reaching arrogantly into the sky, no excessive displays of wealth meant to impress or intimidate. Instead, everything felt… simple. Quietly alive.
The paths were formed of soft earth and stone, winding naturally between homes that looked as though they had grown rather than been built. Wood curved instead of cut harshly, vines wrapped themselves freely along walls, and soft lights glowed from within structures that blended seamlessly into the land around them.
For a moment, I forgot why I was here.
My gaze moved slowly, taking everything in, and I felt something unfamiliar settle in my chest. It was not awe. It was not shock. It was something softer. Something closer to recognition, like seeing a place I had never been to before yet somehow understood.
[Host has entered admiration mode.]
I ignored him, but I did not deny it.
