The forest no longer felt like a place.
It felt like a threshold.
Luna stood at its center with the weight of Arkan’s words still pressing against her thoughts. Nothing around her had changed visibly, yet everything felt altered in a way she could not ignore. Even the silence seemed intentional, as though the world itself was waiting for her response.
Ethan remained close, but not close enough to control her space. That distance between them carried meaning now. It was not separation born from conflict, but restraint shaped by understanding. Whatever was coming next, it was not something either of them could step away from easily.
Arkan stood a few paces away, watching them both with a calm that felt older than the moment itself.
Luna finally spoke, her voice quieter than before but s
