"Pick one. It'll tell your mood for the day."
I chose a bird with blue-tipped wings. It fluttered from my palm and shimmered gold.
"Joy," the vendor said. "Your heart has found a moment of light."
Lira beamed. "Told you I was good for you."
We moved from stall to stall. I tasted sweet rice pearls wrapped in seaweed leaves, watched a puppet show where the strings were threads of moonlight, and even tried my hand at a throwing game where I won a tiny jade turtle.
There was laughter, music, and above all, life.
Lira dragged me to a tiny teahouse nestled between two flowering trees. The moment we entered, the scent of lavender and roasted dates wrapped around us. Inside, the floor was glass, showing koi fish swimming beneath. Each table floated an inch above the ground.
We sat cross-legged on cushions while a cat with wings delivered our tea.
"You seem lighter," Lira observed, blowing on her drink.
I nodded. "I think I'd forgotten what it feels like to… exist without fear."
