The wind was cool against Ella’s skin as she stood on the hilltop, staring at the breathtaking view before her. The lights of Eldoria twinkled like fallen stars in the distance, and the moon cast a soft glow over the rolling fields below.
“This is beautiful,” she murmured, hugging herself as the night air nipped at her exposed arms.
Beside her, Damian—Darios in disguise—smiled. “It is,” he agreed, though his eyes weren’t on the view. They were on her.
Ella turned to him, tilting her head slightly. “I haven’t seen you around before,” she said, curiosity flickering in her voice.
Damian sighed, running a hand through his golden curls. “That’s because I just arrived in Eldoria,” he said, his voice heavy with a carefully crafted sadness. “I… don’t really have a home. No family. No p
