The morning after, Adrielle tried to convince herself it had been nothing more than a dream.

Yet no matter how hard she tried, the memory of the man by the oak tree clung to her like the pale scent of night-blooming flowers. His voice, his eyes—why did they feel like fragments of something she had lost?

She busied herself with chores, scrubbing wooden floors, fetching water from the old well. But when she leaned over the bucket to scoop water, her breath caught.

The surface rippled—not with her reflection, but with the faint shimmer of a silver moon, though the sun was high in the sky.

Her hands trembled. No… this can’t be real.

Yet deep down, she already knew the truth: the moon was calling her again.

That night, when the pale glow spilled once more over the meadow, her feet moved without her consent. Her shawl clutched tightly around her shoulders, she returned to the oak tree.

And he was there. Waiting.

This time, he stepped closer. The shadows no longer hid his face. His dark hair framed sharp features softened by the glow of moonlight. His eyes, a shade between storm and midnight, locked with hers.

“You came back,” he said gently.

“I…” Adrielle’s voice faltered. “Why do I always see you when the moon is full? Who are you?”

The man’s lips curved into a faint smile.

“My name is Alex.”

The sound of it struck something deep inside her chest. As if her heart had been waiting for that name all along.

“Alex…” she repeated softly, testing the way it fit on her tongue.

“You and I,” he continued, his tone low, almost reluctant, “are bound by something far older than we can understand. A curse. Or perhaps… a promise.”

Adrielle shook her head, confused. “I don’t even know you—”

“But your soul does,” Alex interrupted, stepping even closer. His hand hovered near hers, the space between them charged with something she could neither see nor name.

“When the moon calls, we are drawn together. We cannot resist it.”

Her pulse raced, her breath shallow. The glow around them brightened, as if the moon itself leaned closer to listen.

And just as his fingers brushed hers—

A surge of light erupted, warm and blinding, wrapping them both in silver fire.

Adrielle gasped, stumbling back. The pull was undeniable now. This was no dream.

Something had tied her to Alex long before this night, and the moon would never let her forget it.