BENEATH THE BLUE WATERS
703 Words
Night had settled gently over Eldoria Royal University.
Tonight was unlike any other.
The annual Campus Night Festival had finally arrived.
Every path across the university glowed beneath hundreds of hanging lanterns.
Music floated through the cool evening air.
Students laughed as they wandered between beautifully decorated stalls selling pastries, handmade jewelry, paintings, books, and colorful ribbons.
The gardens had become a place of magic.
Fireflies danced among the flowers.
A violinist performed beside the fountain while couples strolled hand in hand beneath the ancient trees.
Octavia stood with Aurora and Arina, her emerald-green gown shimmering softly beneath the lantern light.
Her orange-red curls fell gracefully over her shoulders.
She looked breathtaking.
Aurora linked her arm through Octavia's.
"This has to be the most beautiful festival the university has ever held."
"It really is," Octavia whispered, smiling.
Arina grinned mischievously.
"I wonder if someone special is coming tonight."
Octavia looked away, pretending not to understand.
Before she could answer...
A respectful silence slowly spread across the courtyard.
Students stepped aside.
The music seemed quieter.
Lincoln had arrived.
Dressed in an elegant black royal coat with silver embroidery, he walked with calm confidence.
Two royal guards remained several steps behind before stopping at a respectful distance.
Lincoln acknowledged those who bowed with a slight nod.
Then...
His eyes found Octavia.
The faintest smile appeared on his face.
Everything else seemed to disappear.
He walked toward her.
"Good evening."
Octavia smiled warmly.
"Good evening... Your Highness."
Lincoln chuckled softly.
"When we're together..."
"You don't have to call me that."
She smiled.
"Then..."
"Good evening, Lincoln."
---
The festival continued with music, games, and laughter.
The four friends enjoyed the evening together.
Damien somehow convinced Aurora to try an archery game.
She missed every target.
Damien laughed until she threatened to beat him with the bow.
Arina laughed so hard she nearly dropped her cup of hot chocolate.
Lincoln watched Octavia laughing with her friends.
It was a sight he wished could last forever.
---
Later...
As the festival slowly began to quiet down...
Lincoln turned to Octavia.
"Would you walk with me?"
She nodded.
"I'd like that."
They quietly left the festival behind.
The sounds of laughter gradually faded as they followed a narrow stone path leading toward the cliffs beyond the university.
The moon illuminated the way.
After several minutes...
They reached the entrance of a rocky cave hidden behind climbing ivy and wildflowers.
Octavia stopped.
"I've never seen this place before."
Lincoln smiled.
"Very few people have."
He offered his hand.
"Trust me."
Without hesitation...
She placed her hand in his.
They stepped inside.
The cave opened into a breathtaking chamber.
Thousands of tiny crystals sparkled across the ceiling like stars.
At the very center rested a small lake unlike anything Octavia had ever seen.
Its water glowed a deep sapphire blue.
Gentle light rose from beneath its surface, filling the cave with an almost dreamlike glow.
She stood speechless.
"It's..."
"...beautiful."
Lincoln watched her instead of the lake.
"It is."
The water reflected the moonlight entering through a narrow opening high above.
Soft ripples shimmered across its surface.
The cave felt peaceful.
Sacred.
Untouched by time.
Octavia slowly walked to the edge of the lake.
She knelt and dipped her fingers into the cool blue water.
"It feels wonderful."
Lincoln joined her.
"When I was a child..."
"This was the place I came whenever I wanted to be alone."
She looked at him with surprise.
"You trusted me enough to bring me here?"
He met her eyes.
"There isn't anyone else I'd rather share it with."
Her heart skipped.
For a long moment...
Neither spoke.
They simply sat together, listening to the gentle sound of the water.
Outside...
A distant rumble of thunder echoed across the mountains.
Octavia looked toward the cave entrance.
"I think it's going to rain."
Lincoln smiled.
"Then let's enjoy this moment before the storm arrives."
She leaned gently against his shoulder.
He didn't move away.
Above them...
The first raindrops began to fall outside the cave.
Neither of them knew...
That hidden far beyond the mountain forest...
Several unseen eyes had already begun watching.
Not tonight.
Tonight belonged only to them.
But the shadows were growing closer.
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