Lora's words weren't particularly stirring, nor was her voice loud. She spoke to Nahida as if patiently guiding her.
After listening, the girl fell silent, unsure of what she should do next.
Five hundred years of oppression by the Akademiya had left her with almost no confidence in herself.
Lora wanted to help rebuild that confidence, but there was only so much she could do from the sidelines. Real change had to come from within. No one else could do it for her. She had to break free from the invisible cage the Akademiya had built around her with her own strength.
"Come sell flowers with me. Maybe it'll give you some new ideas."
She moved first, returning to her previous spot with practiced ease. Borrowing a piece of cloth from a nearby stall, she spread it across the ground, then began taking out Padisarah one after another from seemingly nowhere, calling out to passing customers as if nothing had happened.
Nahida lingered for a moment before walking over and crouching beside her. "Auntie, I still have a lot of questions I want to ask."
"Go ahead. If I can answer, I will."
"How… did you come back to life?"
She fell quiet for a brief moment before replying, "Because I wasn't willing to die. Because Fontaine still needs me."
"But doesn't Fontaine already have someone who succeeded you?" she asked hesitantly. "I've heard many voices. Most of them don't trust her… but she still seems better than me."
"She's someone I have to save too," came the calm reply. "I'm going to save everyone in Fontaine. I'll be the one to bring all of this to an end."
"I think I've heard something about it… Is it related to the prophecy?"
Her expression turned serious. She had wanted to offer help, but stopped herself. She could barely take care of her own situation—how could she possibly help Fontaine?
"Yes. Ever since the Heavenly Principles delivered that prophecy, Fontaine's future has seemed all but set." She gave a faint nod. "But I don't believe that. I'll make sure its people survive, no matter the cost."
"And if the price is something even you can't bear?"
She shook her head, voice low and steady.
"No. There is no price I can't bear."
Nahida fell silent again.
While she remained quiet, someone approached to buy flowers.
"I heard Miss Lora was selling here. I practically had to sneak out just to come!" Dunyarzad said with a smile, crouching down to admire the Padisarah on display.
Nahida's gaze settled on her. She recognized the girl—or rather, she had never forgotten her.
"It's Dunyarzad. Want one?" came a light voice beside her.
"Yes! Please." She nodded eagerly, accepting the flower before glancing at the girl nearby. "Miss Lora, who is this?"
"A friend's child. Her name is Nahida."
"Nahida…" she repeated softly, then smiled. "That's a beautiful name."
"Yours is beautiful too," Nahida replied gently.
The sound of her voice made Dunyarzad pause. She blinked, her expression slowly tightening.
"That voice… it feels so familiar. Like I've heard it somewhere before…"
Don't be afraid. Don't cry anymore…
The words surfaced in her mind without warning. The voice from her memories overlapped with the one before her, and in that instant, the god she had always imagined and the girl in front of her became one.
Her eyes widened.
"Y-you're…"
A finger rose to Lora's lips.
"Shh. Don't make a scene. Come, sit."
The two shifted slightly, making space.
Dunyarzad sat down, still visibly shaken. Even after a long moment, she couldn't calm herself.
"Kusanali… no… no, no… the Archon… how could you… you're really…"
Nahida gently reached up and brushed her hair. "Don't get so excited. I'm here."
Those simple words seemed almost magical, and Dunyarzad gradually calmed down. She stared at the Kusanali so intently that everything else faded from view. In her eyes, there was only the one god she revered above all others.
Only after she had fully settled did Lora explain the situation. When she learned that the Lesser Lord Kusanali had been imprisoned in the Sanctuary of Surasthana for five hundred years, unable to leave, anger surged through her. If not for the two of them stopping her, she might have marched straight off to confront Azar.
"Thank you so much, Miss Lora! If it weren't for you, who knows how those arrogant sages would still be treating my god!"
"Hm? You're really not curious about who I am?" she asked, a little surprised.
A small shake of the head. "I'm not."
"You are."
Another shake, firmer this time. "I'm not. If you were able to bring her out of the Sanctuary, then you must be someone extraordinary. But that doesn't matter to me. I only know that you're Miss Lora… and my benefactor."
Lora studied the girl's earnest expression, then let out a quiet sigh.
"For now, her identity has to remain a secret. Aside from me, you're the only one who knows she's the Dendro Archon, so you need to be careful. No one can find out she left the Sanctuary. Otherwise… I'll have to 'reason' with the Akademiya."
Her expression turned solemn at once, and she nodded.
"Don't worry, Miss Lora. I won't tell anyone."
"And don't use that title either. Just call her Nahida."
"That would be far too disrespectful… I can't."
Nahida spoke up gently, her timing precise as ever.
"Dunyarzad, respect isn't shown through a title. It's shown through your heart… through your attitude."