The following night, Adrielle tried to resist the pull of the moonlight, but her body betrayed her. Her hands trembled as she reached for the cottage door, as if someone else commanded her steps.

The meadow was waiting. He was waiting.

This time, he did not smile. His eyes, glowing faintly silver, held sorrow and warning.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said, though his voice trembled as if he wanted her closer.

Adrielle’s breath caught. “Then why do I always end up here? Why do I always find you?”

For a long moment, silence stretched between them, broken only by the whispers of the night wind. Finally, he spoke—each word heavy like a confession.

“Because the moon has bound us. You and I… we are tied by an ancient curse. When the silver moon rises, it drags our souls together. But if we draw too close…” His gaze dropped, pained. “…it will destroy us both.”

Adrielle’s heart poundAdrielle’s breath still trembled from the silver fire that had wrapped around them.

The meadow was silent now, too silent—only the hum of her pulse reminded her she was alive.

Alex’s hand lingered near hers, though neither dared to close the distance. His gaze searched her face, filled with something unspoken—longing, sorrow, and fear all at once.

“What… what just happened?” Adrielle whispered, clutching her shawl tight.

“The bond,” Alex murmured, his voice low as if confessing a sin. “It stirs whenever we touch. The moon remembers what time has tried to bury.”

Adrielle shook her head, heart racing. “You speak in riddles. I don’t understand—why me? Why us?”

He stepped back, pain flickering across his features. “Because you were never meant to forget me.”

Her chest tightened. The words felt like a key sliding into a lock inside her soul. Shadows of half-dreams stirred at the edges of her mind—glimpses of another time, another life. A hand reaching for hers beneath the same silver moon.

Alex’s voice dropped, almost breaking.

“Long ago, we defied the stars. We swore to find each other, no matter how many lifetimes it took. But the vow became a curse. Each time the moon is full, our souls are drawn together… and each time, it tries to tear us apart again.”

The night air grew heavy, pressing against her skin. Adrielle’s throat tightened. “A curse…? What do you mean ‘tear us apart’?”

Before Alex could answer, the wind howled through the meadow, cold and sharp. The silver glow dimmed as if the moon itself recoiled. Adrielle gasped as a shadow moved beyond the oak tree—something watching.

Alex’s expression hardened. “They’ve found us.”

“Who—?” Adrielle began, but he caught her wrist gently, firmly.

“There isn’t time. Just know this—whatever happens, don’t let go of me. Not this time.”

The ground shivered beneath their feet. The meadow, once serene, now whispered of danger. Adrielle’s fear battled with the strange, fierce certainty that he was right—she had lost him before. She would not let it happen again.

And so, with the silver moon burning above them, she gripped his hand tight.

This time, she would hold on.ed. Fear and longing clashed inside her chest. She didn’t know whether to run—or to step closer.