Our fate was sealed from day 1

Mae wakes as the first light brushes the clouded spires of heaven, soft and pale, almost like the glow of her own wings. She slips into her white-and-light-blue robes, the fabric brushing her skin like a whisper. Her hair, a cascade of pale blue with white bangs, catches the sunlight as she walks toward the garden.

The garden is her sanctuary. Beds of luminescent herbs sway gently, responding to the heavenly wind. Some smell faintly of earthly lavender and mint, others shimmer with celestial energy, like they hold small fragments of light in their leaves.

Mae's hands are steady and practiced. She crushes leaves into powders, extracts essences in delicate vials, and labels each one with tiny, precise handwriting. Each mixture is intended to heal-relieve sorrow, mend minor wounds, calm restless spirits.