A few months had passed since Nicolae was born, and the castle seemed to breathe differently. A gentle warmth reigned in every corner, like a light that never went out. The gardens had bloomed before their time, and the Itezista forest vibrated with every breeze, as if all of nature had rejoiced at the arrival of the child.
For Sofia, those months were the most beautiful of her life.
Every morning she woke up early, just to see him sleeping. She liked to touch his little hand and speak to him in a whisper:
— "Good morning, Nico. Today I will teach you to laugh louder."
Each time, the luminous sign on Nicolae's forehead sparkled slightly, and Sofia's medallion responded with the same brilliance. The queen had seen them like this many times, and although she feared the unknown, deep down she felt that something sacred had been born between the children—a bond of light that neither time nor darkness could break.
One day, the king called Sofia to the garden.
— "Dragoș has come. He says he wants to see little Nicolae."
Sofia smiled broadly.
Dragoș, who was now nine years old, had come from the village riding a gray pony. His blond hair fluttered in the wind, and his eyes sparkled curiously and gently. He was holding a basket of flowers and a few golden feathers in his arms.
— "For him," she said, bending down a little, "but also for you."
— "They are wonderful!" Sofia said, taking the flowers.
Dragoș looked at her medallion that shone in the sunlight.
— "Every time I come, it shines brighter."
— "Maybe because it feels the light in you," Sofia joked.
He laughed, but then he looked up at the sky.
— "Since your brother was born, it's been different in the village. At night, the lake lights up. The elders say the forest blesses us."
Sofia suddenly became serious.
— "Codrion said the light will come true. Maybe… this is the fulfillment."
Dragoș looked at her with that silent respect that only he knew how to show.
Then, together, they went to the small terrace behind the castle, where Nicolae slept in his crib.
When Dragoș approached, the child woke up and, without crying, stretched out his hands towards him.
— "Look," Sofia said in amazement, "he likes it! He doesn't do this to just anyone."
Dragos took her little finger in his palm. At that moment, the mark on Nicolae's forehead glowed slightly, and Sofia's locket trembled.
— "Did you feel it?" she asked.
— "Yes," he answered slowly. "Like a current of warmth."
The Queen, who was watching them from the door, smiled.
— "Maybe your light recognizes him. Maybe all three of you are connected."
Weeks passed.
Dragoș came to the castle more and more often, helping in the garden, bringing apples for Sofia and toys for Nicolae. Sometimes, in the evenings, the three of them would sit on the lakeshore and look at the sky.
— "Look, Nico," Sofia would say, holding him in her arms, "that star is Codrion's. It watches over us."
Daros smiled.
— "And what about that star?" he asked, pointing to a smaller one that was shining nearby.
— "Maybe it's yours," Sofia said.
He laughed, but then, in a serious tone, he added:
— "Then it will always stay by your star."
Sofia looked at him for a few moments and said nothing. She just smiled, feeling a strange warmth in her chest—one she didn't yet understand, but which brought her peace.
One evening, after sunset, something strange happened.
Sofia was singing to Nicolae, and Dragoș was standing by the window, looking at the forest. Suddenly, the medallion began to shine brightly. Nicolae, in her arms, laughed, and the mark on his forehead also lit up.
Dragos stood up suddenly.
— "Sofia... look!"
The light rose from the medallion and joined the one on the child's forehead, forming a golden sphere between them.
In that vibrating silence, a gentle voice was heard, like a breeze:
"The Light and the Moon have connected. The circle has begun."
Then everything went silent.
Dragoș remained with his eyes wide open.
— "What was that?"
— "Codrion," Sofia whispered. "He spoke."
The Queen, who had come attracted by the light, embraced them both.
— "You don't have to be afraid," she said softly. "It means that the light unites you. And you must protect it, together."
From that day on, Dragoș began to feel the connection too. Sometimes, when Sofia was sad, he knew without her saying it. Other times, when Nicolae was crying, Dragoș would appear in the courtyard without being called.
— "I don't know why," he would say, "but I can sense when something is happening to you."
Sofia smiled.
— "Maybe because the light chose us all."
Towards the end of summer, the sky was crossed by a white bird of light. It flew over the castle, circled and disappeared into the forest.
Sofia looked up and said:
— "It's Codrion's sign. It's preparing us for something."
Dragoș nodded.
— "I feel it too. Something is coming."
Then, without saying anything else, they both looked at Nicolae, who was sleeping peacefully.
The little girl and the boy understood that their future was already written — and that the light that united them was not only a blessing, but also a calling.