The Garden

"Oh dear goddess, this is the ugliest garden I have ever seen," Valentina exclaimed.

If one could even call it a garden. It was more like a patch of desolation.

The stone pathways were cracked and overgrown with wild, invasive weeds, their roots pushing up the stones as if nature itself had given up on maintaining order. What should have been lush green lawns were nothing but barren stretches of dry, yellowed grass, scattered with patches of bare earth that resembled scars on the land.

Lucian winced, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I did warn you," he said, scratching the back of his neck, he sounded amused.

Valentina shook her head, turning to him. "This is worse than I imagined. It's like everything here has just…given up."

Lucian sighed, his gaze sweeping over the dismal landscape. "What do you expect? We are undead creatures of the night. How are we supposed to take care of a garden?"

"You could hire someone," Valentina pointed out.