The moon hung low, golden and warm, spilling light like honey over the city rooftops. Kael pulled his star charts tighter under his arm and stepped into the mist-sweet air of the Festival of Moondrift.

Crowds swirled beneath the glowing sky, their laughter weaving through the narrow stone streets. Lanterns bobbed like earthbound stars, and the scent of roasted chestnuts drifted from stalls.

Kael’s heart thudded—not from fear, but from hope. Tonight, he would do something different. Tonight, he would ask Seren to walk the hill with him, to watch the lunar flowers bloom beneath this impossible moon.

He spotted her at the temple steps, robes soft against the marble, silver dust sparkling faintly in her dark hair. She turned, and the world narrowed to the space between them.

“I’m glad you came,” she said, voice steady but warm like the moonlight itself.

Kael smiled, lifting the paper lantern he’d bought with trembling hands. “I couldn’t miss this night. Especially not with you.”

Side by side, they climbed toward the hill, leaving the city behind as the moon’s glow wrapped them in a quiet promise—one older than memory, flickering bright against the dark.