Let Go.

Ellara sat beneath a towering cypress tree at the edge of Sea's Plain, the brackish scent of the nearby ocean mingling with the crisp air of late autumn. The transition of seasons had always been bittersweet for her. She was reminded of the fleeting nature of life and love, an eternal cycle of hope and heartbreak. It was her love life, or rather her lack of success in it, that weighed heavily on her now. Her heart, so full of care for others, often seemed destined to bear the pain of rejection and loss. She felt like the cypress trees lining the beach - weathered but standing, their roots clinging to fragile soil, always enduring.

She closed her pink eyes, taking a slow, steadying breath. The wind rustled through the tree branches, and she focused on the sound, letting it guide her into stillness. Her thoughts swirled at first, restless as the tides. Why did love elude her? Was there something inherently unlovable about her? Or was she simply cursed with bad luck?

She began to reflect on her relationships, the moments when her heart had fluttered with hope, only to be left aching in the end. They were all kind wolves, in their own ways, but none of them had stayed. Was it her melancholy? Her deep-seated fear of attachment? Or was it the burden of her depression, ever-present and impossible to mask?

A deep sigh escaped her. She shifted her focus inward, grounding herself with her senses. The rough texture of the bark beneath her paw, the chill of the breeze brushing her fur, and the faint taste of salt on her lips. The seasons were changing, yes, but perhaps that could be her solace.

Ellara straightened, adopting a meditative position. She curled her tail around herself and rested her chin lightly on her chest. She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the brisk autumn air, and exhaled slowly, releasing her doubts and frustrations.

“Breathe, Ellara,” she murmured to herself. “Breathe and let go.”

She envisioned her struggles as leaves caught in a stream, drifting away with the current. The sadness, the yearning, the self-doubt - they were all leaves, and the stream carried them out of her reach. The water was cool and clear, flowing steadily as it mirrored the passing of time.

Focusing on the gentle shift of the seasons, she began to imagine the changes in her surroundings. The golden grasses of the plain swayed in the wind, their tips curling as they prepared for the chill of winter. The cypress trees, stoic and strong, shed a few needles, adding to the soft blanket of earth beneath her. Even the ocean seemed quieter, its waves slower and more deliberate.

Ellara opened her eyes briefly, studying the landscape. “The seasons change, but they never stop,” she whispered. “They don’t hold onto what was. They just become what’s next.”

The realization was simple but powerful. Her heartache and bad luck with love didn’t have to define her. Like the seasons, she could change, adapt, and grow. It wasn’t about forgetting or suppressing her feelings; it was about learning to accept them and move forward.

She closed her eyes again, this time letting her thoughts drift to her happiest memories. There had been love in her life, even if it hadn’t lasted. Moments of laughter and connection, of sharing warmth on cold nights, and of simply being understood. Those memories were her roots, grounding her, even if the branches had been lost.

The sound of a distant bird call brought her back to the present. She allowed herself a small smile, imagining that the bird was a messenger of hope, carrying a promise of new beginnings.

Ellara shifted her focus to gratitude. For the cypress tree that sheltered her, for the air that filled her lungs, and for the earth beneath her paws. For her healing work, which gave her purpose, and for the wolves she had met along her journey, even if they had left.

Her breathing steadied as she found her center. The pain in her heart didn’t disappear (it was a part of her, after all) but it no longer felt overwhelming. It was a part of her story, not the whole of it.

As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, casting long golden shadows across the plain, Ellara rose to her paws. She stretched, shaking loose the stiffness from sitting still for so long. The sadness lingered, but it no longer felt as heavy.

“I’m still here,” she said softly to herself, her voice steady. “And that’s enough.”

She took one last deep breath, inhaling the scent of autumn, and began to walk toward the ocean. The waves lapped gently at the shore, inviting her to wade in and wash away her doubts. She stopped just at the water’s edge, gazing out at the horizon where the sky met the sea.

Ellara dipped her head in quiet reflection. “The seasons will keep turning. And so will I.”

She turned back toward the plain, ready to face whatever lay ahead with renewed strength. The ocean’s rhythm echoed in her heart, a reminder that life was ever-changing, and so was she.