Erestia.
The capital of the Kingdom of Lorendia stretched before me. From my perch in the swaying carriage, I watched the familiar spires pierce the afternoon sky, their shadows dancing across cobblestone streets that hummed with the endless rhythm of commerce and conversation.
This marked my second trip to these grounds, yet everything felt simultaneously foreign and achingly familiar. The merchant stalls that lined the main thoroughfare bore new awnings in vibrant crimson and gold, their colors more saturated than I remembered.
Nearly three years. Had it truly been so long since I last walked these streets?
Time had a peculiar way of stretching and compressing memory. That previous visit felt like both yesterday and a lifetime ago.
