WHEN LOVE FINDS HER

People always say girls like me do not have real problems. That when you’re born with a billionaire name like Moreau, life falls into place, like the stars themselves have aligned for you. My name is Celyn Moreau, I’m twenty years old, and am the only child and the sole heiress of one of the richest and most powerful families in Valmora — a floating city where ancient magic meets cutting-edge technology. From the outside, I live in a palace glittering with gold and secrets, a life anyone would envy. But inside, I feel like I’m trapped inside a diamond — beautiful, shining, but cold and unbreakable. The morning light crept through my bedroom windows, soft and pale, lighting up the crystal chandeliers and casting rainbows on the marble floor. My bed was draped in silks from the Far East, and my walls were lined with paintings of ancestors long gone, faces proud and serious, eyes seeming to watch me every day. The soft chime of crystal bells signaled it was time to rise. I sat up, heart heavy. Another day to wear a mask. Downstairs in the Great Hall, the world expected me to be perfect. My father, Lord Draven Moreau, sat at the head of the table — tall, stern, and as sharp as the blade hidden beneath his cloak. He rarely smiled, and when he did, it was cold . Beside him, my mother, Lady Seraphine, was a vision of grace . Her laughter was rare but sharp, her eyes always on the next move in the endless game of politics. “Celyn,” my mother said without looking at me, “the gala tomorrow is an opportunity. You will attend with Prince Theron. Make sure you remember your place.” Prince Theron — the boy I was supposed to marry someday. Perfect on paper: tall, polite, handsome in a royal sort of way. But inside? Hollow. Boring. I forced a smile. “Of course, Mother.” The conversation around the table was a dull drone of trade deals, council politics, and the latest rumors about rogue magic. Magic — the very thing that had once ruled our world — was feared now, buried deep under laws and suspicion. Nobody dared to speak of it openly, especially in my family. But my heart whispered a different truth. Later that morning, unable to bear the suffocating air inside the palace, I slipped away to the Royal Court Garden — my secret refuge. It was a place where enchanted flowers bloomed year-round and ancient trees whispered stories in languages only the wind understood. That’s where I saw him again. Kael. His messy dark hair fell across his forehead, eyes wide with curiosity and something untamed. He wasn’t dressed like the nobles. No shimmering robes, no sigils or crests. Just simple clothes that looked worn but comfortable. When our eyes met, the world seemed to still. He smiled — a half-smile that made my heart jump. “You came back.” I did not answer. Instead, I walked toward him, each step feeling like crossing an invisible line into something unknown. We talked for hours, our voices were low so no one could hear us. He told me he was not from Valmora — that he came from a hidden world beyond the floating city’s shimmering borders. “Magic still lives there,” he said, “wild and free. But it’s dying here.” I didn’t know what to say, only that when he reached out and our fingers brushed, a spark of golden light flared between us. My palm tingled, warmth spreading like wildfire. “I don’t understand,” I whispered, heart pounding. “Why me?” Kael looked at me like I held the answers he has been searching for. Because you are not just an heiress, Celyn. You’re the key.” The weight of his words crushed me. The next days blurred in a haze of whispered meetings and stolen moments. One afternoon, Alura found me sitting beneath the weeping moonflowers, her silver braid catching the fading light. “You can’t keep hiding,” she said fiercely. “They’re watching.” I shook my head. “I don’t even know what’s happening to me.” “Magic is waking up, Celyn. And you’re not the only one feeling it.” Her words chilled me more than the night breeze. Back inside the palace, the walls seemed to close tighter. During dinner, the tension was unbearable. Prince Theron sat across from me, his polite smile never reaching his eyes. “My lady, will you honor me with a dance at the gala?” he asked, voice smooth like silk. I nodded, but my mind was elsewhere — tangled in dreams and strange visions. That night, sleep finally came, but with it came a dream unlike any before. I stood on a battlefield drenched in fire and shadow. The air was thick with magic and sorrow. Kael stood before me, his hand bleeding light. Behind him, another boy appeared — golden-haired with piercing pale eyes — holding my other hand. “You belong to both of us,” the voice echoed in my mind. I woke gasping, heart shattered and whole at the same time. Love, danger all tangled together, like the threads of a spell I didn’t know I was casting. The dawn came so slow and heavy, sunlight bleeding through the curtains in pale streaks. But sleep refused to come back . My heart was pounding too loudly, my mind tangled in the dream’s haunting words. You belong to both of us. I dressed so quite so I won't wake household. Kael was waiting. I was so hesitated, “Tell me everything. Who is the other boy? What’s happening to me?” Kael looked away, jaw tight. “He’s from my world — a prince of the old magic. His name is Lior. And he’s… complicated.” “Complicated how?” I pressed. Kael sighed. “Lior thinks you’re meant to be his. That you carry the bloodline of an ancient prophecy. But I… I don’t want to fight him. Not over you.” My chest twisted. I don’t want to be a prize in some magical war, but part of me felt drawn to both. Just then, the wind shifted, carrying a whisper of danger. “Celyn!” a voice called sharply. Alura appeared, eyes wide with urgency. “They’ve found out you’ve been meeting Kael. The Council is moving faster than we thought. You have to be careful.” “Who told them?” I asked, fear rising. “Doesn’t matter,” she said. “But if they catch you using magic—” I clenched my fists. “I don’t care. I won’t hide who I am anymore.” That evening, the family gathered for another formal dinner. The Great Hall felt colder than usual. Father’s eyes bore into me like steel. “You’re making dangerous choices, Celyn,” he warned. “The Moreau name must stay untarnished. Your duty is to the family, not some… fantasy.” Mother’s gaze was equally sharp. “You will attend the gala with Prince Theron. No excuses.” I swallowed my defiance. “Yes, Mother.” But inside, I was breaking free. Later, in the quiet of my chambers, I traced the glowing mark on my palm—the same one that appeared after I touched Kael. A whisper of power surged beneath my skin. I just felt like the life i wanted was gone The magic was awakening inside me and unpredictable The kind of love that finds you when you least expect it was coming too. As soon as the stars blinked awake outside my window, I whispered to the night The stars did not answer. I turned back to Kael and Lior and we were both waiting, both watching me with unreadable eyes. “I quietly said i don’t know what’s coming, “But I’m not running anymore.” Kael gave a small nod The Lior smiled. “Then your journey begins now.” And just like that, everything I thought I knew… unraveled.