Evening air settled softly over the castle, carrying with it the scent of wet grass and closed flowers. The sky was clear, scattered with stars, and the full moon rose above the Itezista Forest, shining like a mirror of the light growing inside Sofia.
The girl walked barefoot through the courtyard, holding the crystal that still pulsed faintly. Every time she looked at it, she felt warmth in her chest, as if the heart of the forest beat in rhythm with her own.
— "I wonder if he feels this too…" she murmured.
— "He does," a voice answered behind her.
Sofia startled slightly. Dragoș approached slowly, holding a small lantern and a warm smile. Moonlight touched his face, making him seem older, more sure of himself.
— "I can't sleep," he said. "Whenever I close my eyes, I hear the forest calling. As if it's reminding me of something."
Sofia smiled and stood up.— "Maybe it reminds you of the promise you made."
Dragoș looked at her, surprised, then with a playful air raised his hand.The ring shimmered faintly, silver.— "I remember. I promised that as long as your light burns, I will feel the call. And I still do."
The girl looked down, moved.— "And if my light goes out?"
Dragoș stepped closer.— "Then I'll rekindle it," he said softly. "Even if I have to walk to the forest's shadow for it."
The silence that followed was sweet, filled with a tension neither of them knew how to name. Only the wind, the moon, and the rustling leaves kept them company.
Sofia sat down again, and Dragoș sat beside her. They looked at the moon — he with dreamy eyes, she with a heart full of questions.
— "You know…," Sofia said, "Mama told me I was born under the sign of the Sun. That I have light inside me. But you… you have something of the Moon. Maybe that's why we understand each other this way."
Dragoș laughed softly.— "The Sun and Moon never meet, do they?"— "They do," Sofia replied. "At an eclipse. When the world is ready to change."
For a moment, their eyes met.The crystal in Sofia's hand and the ring on Dragoș's finger began to shine at the same time, blending into a gentle, bluish glow.The air vibrated faintly, as if the forest itself were smiling.
Sofia felt her heart beat faster.— "Did you see that?" she whispered.— "Yes. Maybe it's a sign that our promise is real."
She laughed quietly, and he looked at her for a long time.Then, without saying a word, Dragoș removed his cloak and laid it over Sofia's shoulders.— "It's cold. My Sun shouldn't tremble."
Sofia looked at him, surprised, but said nothing. She closed her eyes for a moment and let herself sink into the silence.A silence that said everything — that she was no longer alone, that his promise was true.
After a while she said softly:— "Dragoș… do you think Miral knows everything we do?"
— "Probably. The forest listens to him. And I think that, in a way, we belong to it now."
— "He's my uncle, you know?" Sofia said with a small smile. "Mama told me today. That's why his voice feels so close. When I close my eyes, I hear him like someone from my family."
Dragoș blinked, astonished.— "Your uncle? That explains a lot… maybe why you have the power to speak with Light. It's in you from the day you were born."
— "Mama said Miral chose to go into the forest to protect it. That he gave up the world for balance. Sometimes I wonder if I'll have to choose the same…"
— "You won't be alone, Sofia," Dragoș said. "If that day comes, we'll choose together. Light and shadow walk side by side — just like Sun and Moon."
She looked at him for a long moment.— "Then let's promise that, alright? That no matter what happens, we won't forget who we are."
He smiled and placed his hand over hers.— "I promise. And if you ever forget, I'll remind you."
The wind carried a sweet scent of linden. The moon rose higher, and the Itezista Forest murmured like an ancient voice.
When Sofia returned to the castle, her mother was waiting by the window.— "You were in the garden again?" the woman asked gently.— "Yes, Mama… but not alone. Dragoș was there."
The woman smiled in silence.— "Then the forest protected you well."
Sofia approached and embraced her.— "You know, Mama… Miral told me Light and Shadow aren't enemies. I think I finally understand why. Because if night didn't exist, we'd never know how beautiful sunrise is."
Her mother stroked her hair and whispered:— "My brother said the same thing when he was your age."
Sofia was stunned.— "Then he really is my uncle…"
The woman nodded, her eyes shining with tears.— "Yes. And I'm proud that you can see his light."
The girl curled into her mother's arms. Outside, the wind carried the forest's whisper, and far away two small lights — one blue, one silver — rose toward the sky, reminding her of the promise made beneath the Moon.