Three days had passed since the night Sofia and Dragoș had met Miral.Since then, the castle seemed changed — not in its stones, but in the air that wrapped around it.The nights were clearer, and the mornings carried a vivid calm, as if every leaf were listening to something unseen.
Sofia could no longer find peace.The crystal Miral had given her never faded completely. Beneath her pillow, it kept pulsing softly, like a heart breathing in the rhythm of the forest.Sometimes it felt warm as fire, other times cold as moonlight.
Her father, the King, had noticed the change.At breakfast, as the sun rose over the stone towers, he gave her a raised eyebrow.
— "Sofia, you didn't sleep again?"
The girl smiled faintly.— "I dreamed of the forest, Father. It was… alive."
— "A forest is only a gathering of trees. You let yourself get carried away."
His tone was cold, but not cruel. He did not understand what hid behind the light.
— "But I think it's more than that," she said. "I feel it calling me."
— "Then stop listening," he concluded. "The voice of reason is safer than the whispers of the wind."
Sofia lowered her gaze.Only her mother touched her hand, without saying a word. In the Queen's eyes, the morning light seemed deeper, like water hiding old secrets.
After lunch, the girl climbed the small tower — the place where she felt closest to the sky.
There, the stained glass threw colored streaks across the floor, and the wind smelled of old stone and dried flowers.
She took out the crystal. Inside, small lights spun like threads of gold moving slowly.Through the window, she could see the Itezista Forest wrapped in the blue haze of midday.
— "Miral…," she whispered. "You told me to follow the light… but where does it lead?"
When she closed her eyes, a faint voice brushed her mind — gentle, yet clear:"Don't look only with your eyes, Sofia. Listen with your heart."
She startled. She turned quickly.
But no one was there.
— "You're here, aren't you?" she asked.
The wind rustled through the stained glass, and a few leaves whirled through the air. On one of them, for a heartbeat, a trace of light was visible — Miral's sign.
— "You woke early, Sofia."
Her mother's voice made her turn. The Queen stood in the doorway, wearing a simple gown the color of clouds. Around her neck, a pendant shone softly — a round silver stone that seemed to absorb the sunlight.
— "I couldn't sleep," Sofia said. "I keep hearing a song… like a breath coming from the forest."
The Queen smiled faintly, but her gaze carried a painful depth.
— "It is the song of balance. I heard it once too. Our ancestors said the forest speaks only to those who can feel both light and shadow."
— "Do you think Dragoș hears it too?" the girl asked.
— "Yes. Each of you carries part of the calling. You are the Sun, Sofia. He is the Moon. That was decided the moment you both stepped under the forest's gaze."
— "The Sun…," she repeated softly, touching the crystal. "But what does it mean?"
— "The Sun gives life, it illuminates, it heals. It is courage, fire, the beginning. The light that shows the lost their path."The Queen touched her cheek.— "You were born under the sign of the Sun, Sofia. But you also hold my heart's shadow within you. I was blessed by the Moon, and your father bears the power of the Earth. You are the bridge between them — the one who can keep the world in balance."
Sofia felt her heart pounding.— "And Miral? Why did he choose me?"
The Queen hesitated. In the stained glass light, her eyes seemed wet.— "Because he is my brother."
The girl flinched.— "What? Miral… my uncle?"
The Queen nodded.— "Yes. He was once human, like us. But he left his body to become the guardian between worlds. He is the forest's voice, the one who watches the balance between Light and Moon."
Sofia looked at the crystal with new eyes. Now she felt it alive, warm, like a bond of blood.— "I have to find him," she said, firm. "I need to know why he chose me."
— "Not yet," her mother stopped her. "First you must learn to control your light. The Sun is a powerful force, but merciless. If you let it burn unbalanced, it can consume everything — even you."
Sofia fell silent. The wind drifted through the windows, bringing the scent of rain.Then she smiled.— "Dragoș is the Moon. He knows how to be silent. Maybe he'll help me learn how to listen."
The Queen squeezed her hand.— "Yes. The Sun shines, but the Moon makes it beautiful. Just as Light and Shadow cannot be parted without losing the world."
For a moment, silence settled between them.The Sun glowed through the stained glass, mingling with the silver of the Queen's pendant. On the floor lay a perfect circle — half gold, half silver.
— "See, Sofia?" her mother said. "That is balance. That is how your hearts should be."
The girl pressed the crystal to her chest and felt a gentle warmth spreading from it.In the distance, the Itezista Forest rustled slowly — as if in answer.