The late afternoon sun spilled golden light across the elves’ garden, scattering warmth over the polished stones and whispering leaves. Laughter rang between the hedges where Kayla and her little brother, Balder, chased each other in circles, their footsteps soft against the grass. From the porch, their mother sat quietly, a serene figure bathed in sunlight, her smile gentle as she watched her children play.
Balder’s giggles were high and free, the kind that made birds pause on branches and listen. But the sound broke when a blur of gray darted out from beneath the hedge. A wild rabbit, its eyes wide with a strange, frantic hunger, bounded straight toward the boy.
Balder shrieked and stumbled backward, little arms flailing as the creature nipped too close. He turned instinctively toward
