Luna could still feel his kiss long after it ended.
It lingered on her lips like a promise she didn’t fully understand yet couldn’t deny. Even as she walked beside Ethan through the quiet edge of Silverpine, her pulse refused to steady.
Everything had changed.
The forest was no longer just a place of mystery. It was alive. Watching. Waiting.
And so was she.
“You’re thinking too much,” Ethan said quietly, his voice breaking through her thoughts.
Luna glanced at him. “Am I that obvious?”
“Yes.”
There was no hesitation in his answer.
She exhaled softly. “I just… everything feels different now.”
“It is,” he replied.
His tone wasn’t dismissive. It was certain.
They walked in silence for a moment, the crunch of leaves beneath their feet echoing in the stillness. The night air wrapped
