When the first rays of morning sunlight streamed through the window and spilled into the room, Mia the Deer Woman woke up.
As a spirit of the Forest, Mia still remembered her days there, even though she had been in Ice City for quite some time. The warm sunshine, the green bushes, the sweet birdsong, the soft earth and tender grass beneath her feet-everything before her now was exactly as she remembered it.
The only problem was that this place was not on the ground, but inside the Sky Loft.
"Yaaawn..."
Mia got to her feet, raised both arms, and gave a long stretch. She opened her eyes and looked around. Soft earth and grass covered the ground, with bushes and scattered flowers on either side. Trees swayed gracefully all around her, and a little stream flowed past nearby. There was even a pond and waterfall a short distance away.
No matter how she looked at it, this place was very much like the forest where she had once lived.
Yet when she turned toward the window beside her, all she saw outside was a city shrouded in smoke and constantly flickering lights.
"No matter how many times I see it, humans still seem so strange."
Walking across the grass, Mia could not help remarking on it.
They could simply go out into nature, yet they insisted on shutting themselves inside these strange houses made of earth and stone, then building something called the Indoor Garden inside. Granted, being able to enjoy the warmth and comfort of early spring even in winter was a good thing for her.
But she still thought humans were making needless work for themselves.
Clatter!
Just then, a window on the other side suddenly opened. A gust of cold wind howled inside, making Mia shiver.