A goodbye

As the sun began to rise, casting a warm, golden glow over the rolling hills behind the castle, Iris and Elisabeth stood on the edge of the top stairs, their arms wrapped tightly around each other in a reluctant embrace. The bittersweet moment was thick with emotion, and as they held onto each other, Iris couldn't help but feel the weight of the past days bearing down on them.

"It's hard to believe how quickly time has passed," Elisabeth said, her voice quivering with a mixture of sadness and nostalgia.

Iris nodded, her own voice equally emotional. "It feels like only yesterday you arrived like a storm, and now you're leaving already."

A small, melancholy smile graced Elisabeth's lips. "I'm going to miss you so much, Iris. We barely had a chance to catch up on everything that's happened in the past months."