Hoppy was nowhere to be found, no matter where Sylvia looked. She tried magic, hunting, & everything else within her power to find the little creature, but to no avail. Sighing softly, Sylvia plopped herself down on a fallen log & began to dismay.

She was so fed up with Aranhil correcting her & making her feel incompetent. He acted as though she had no clue how to survive in the world or make her own decisions. It didn't matter that she was the most accomplished of her sisters, that she had top marks in her classes, or that she did whatever it took to make him happy. It was never enough, he would always have a complaint.

"I will never be enough," Sylvia finally said aloud, feeling her spirit sink. Suddenly, Sylvia didn't want to return to the palace. She stood & walked deeper into the forest after a few more moments of frustration, dragging her feet one after the other. Would Aranhil even miss her if she never returned?