Julie's eyes softened as she began, her voice calm but carrying the weight of long-kept memories.
"Skadi...she's not from some big fancy place, you know. She actually came from a small town, just outside the Holyfield Estate."
"It wasn't anything grand or important. Just a quiet, peaceful little place nestled away from the rest of the world. Mostly demi-humans lived there, people like her. They weren't hurting anyone. They lived simple lives. Joyful ones. Tight-knit."
"I remember when I visited, the air even felt different. Like it hadn't been touched by the filth of the world yet."
Her expression dimmed, and she sighed.
"But it didn't last. One day, bandits came. I don't know if they stumbled upon it by accident or if someone told them about it, but they descended on that village like vultures. And they weren't just after supplies."
