Green Fox Chapter 22

Cosi awoke amidst a serene grove of birch trees, their trunks bathed in a luminescent glow as a radiant light permeated the forest from an unseen source deeper within. Overhead, a canopy of green leaves rustled gently, while delicate flowers painted the forest floor in hues of pink and white. Pushing himself up, the cool, dew-kissed grass pressed against his palms and feet, soothing the sores on his skin.

The shifting glow of a fire drew his attention, and he drifted toward it, growing closer to the source of the heat. A baby cried, and he turned, pulled by the melodic sound of laughter. Nestled among the trees, he found a woman reclining on a makeshift bed of moss and grass, cradling a newborn in her arms. The infant’s cries subsided as the mother whispered soothing words, too faint for Cosi to catch. Yet, he knew instinctively what she said. “You have your father’s eyes.” Cosi echoed the words as he heard them for the first time. Nearby, a priestess sat, her watchful eyes shadowed by fatigue, yet her lips curled in a tender, knowing smile. “Gran?” Cosi voiced his surprise, his utterance a foreign sound amidst the gently rustling leaves. His voice felt detached, as if from a distance. “I’m here, Gran. I’ve done something terrible.” The woman lifted her gaze, yet her sight seemed to pass through him. Her posture was straighter, her youthful appearance at odds with her age. Her hair, however, was the same shade of grey he remembered. “Is that me?” Cosi whispered, his heart heavy with realisation as he gazed at the infant. “And you... are you my mother?”

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