The story began.
It was soft at first like a gentle breeze brushing against her cheeks. The blackness faded slowly into color, and a warm golden light spread across her vision.
She found herself standing in a quiet village, where small wooden houses with slanted red rooftops lined the stone-paved road. The air was fresh, filled with the scent of wildflowers and bread baking in some distant oven. A clear blue sky stretched above her, dotted with a few lazy clouds.
And in the middle of that peaceful village… was a little girl.
She couldn't have been more than six or seven years old. She had short, messy hair and wore a plain white dress stained with strawberry jam. Her cheeks were chubby and flushed pink from running around. She was barefoot, giggling softly to herself as she chased a butterfly with arms outstretched.
Lilith, though aware it was only a simulation, felt something strange stir in her chest.
The story was simple. The girl's name was Elna.
