At dawn, Manon stood at the door, her tattered cloak wrapped tightly around her. “Thank you for your kindness,” she said softly. “Few would have offered what you did.”

Hansel nodded, watching her with a mixture of curiosity and sadness. “Where will you go?”

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“Wherever I’m needed,” Manon replied. She glanced at Gretel, her expression unreadable. “You have much to learn about giving, but there’s hope for you yet.”

With that, she stepped outside. The siblings followed to see her off, but as the mist rolled in, Manon seemed to vanish into the trees. Her footprints ended abruptly, leaving them to wonder if she had ever been there at all.