The night wind had stilled.
Sofia and Dragoș walked slowly along the path between dew-soaked roses. Behind them, the Itezista Forest seemed to sigh in its sleep, and the moon followed in silence—like an unseen guardian.
Sofia held the crystal Miral had given her tightly in her palm. She felt it pulse gently, like a living heart.Dragoș walked beside her, lantern in hand, though its flame flickered weakly—as if the light no longer came only from it, but from the two of them.
— "It's quiet everywhere," Dragoș murmured.
— "Yes," whispered Sofia, gazing toward the forest. "As if the forest were listening."
There was a strange stillness in her expression—not fear, but a kind of melancholy.
She paused and pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders. The air was cold, but full of life.
— "Dragoș…"— "Hm?"— "Do you think Miral chose us for something? Or… did he just test us?"
Dragoș was silent for a while, staring at the lantern. Then he answered slowly:— "I think he saw us as we truly are. You have a heart of light… I just try to follow it."
Sofia looked at him for a long moment. In his eyes she saw a sincerity she had never seen in anyone before.She stepped closer, until the lantern's flame brushed both their cheeks.
— "Don't underestimate yourself, Dragoș," she said. "If the forest let you enter, then you carry light too."
They walked without speaking.The wind stirred through the branches, and the rustling sounded like the whisper of an old song.
A distant bell rang from the castle—it was late.Sofia turned toward it and sighed.
— "I have to go back. Mother will worry."
— "I'll walk you to the gate," said Dragoș simply.
They walked together, but the return felt longer than the way they'd come.With every step, the ground shimmered faintly—their footprints glowed for a heartbeat, then faded.
— "See?" said Sofia, looking down. "The earth remembers us."
— "Or it's warning us," Dragoș joked.
Sofia laughed softly, but her laugh melted quickly into the night.
Then, after a few moments, she said something unexpected:
— "Dragoș… Mother told me I'm going to have a brother. Or a sister. Can you imagine?"
— "Really?" he said, surprised.
— "Yes. She said the baby will be born in a few months."
Dragoș smiled.— "Then you'll be the older sister."
Sofia nodded, then added softly:— "Yes, but… I feel it's not just a child. Something more. As if the forest knew before I did."
— "What do you mean?"
Sofia squeezed the crystal. Its light brightened for a moment.
— "When Miral gave it to me, I felt I wasn't alone. Two hearts were beating inside me. Maybe it was a vision… but I think that child is connected to the light."
Dragoș stared at her, fascinated.
— "Maybe he's the forest's chosen one. Or maybe you are."
Sofia smiled faintly.— "Maybe we both belong to the same story."
A sudden gust swept through them, carrying a shiver.The forest rustled deeply—like a sigh.From the trunk of an old tree, a spark of blue light shot upward and vanished among the stars.
Dragoș watched, wide-eyed.— "It's like the forest is blessing us."— "Or warning us again," she said—this time without laughing.
At the castle gate, Sofia stopped.The lantern lit her face, and her eyes were full of warmth.
— "Dragoș…"— "Yes?"— "If one day everything changes, promise you'll be there? Even if the world tries to keep us apart?"
He met her eyes directly.— "I swear. As long as my ring shines, I'll be close."
Sofia smiled, tears gathering.— "Then I swear too. As long as my crystal shines, my heart will know where to find you."
For a brief moment, their relics' light merged.Crystal and ring glowed white, and the air warmed—like a breath of the forest.Like an unspoken vow.
Dragoș stepped back.— "Good night, Sofia."— "Good night… and thank you for coming."
He smiled.— "I'll never leave you to walk through darkness alone."
Sofia climbed the castle steps.When she turned once more, Dragoș was still there—with his lantern.A small flame in a sea of night.
From her bedroom window, Sofia watched the forest.Far away, the trees moved slowly—as if in a quiet dance.And somewhere, distant and fragile, a voice whispered in her mind:
"The light has only just been born, Sofia. But the shadows have begun to stir again."
Sofia closed her eyes and pressed the crystal to her chest.She knew—without knowing why—that the journey had only just begun.