4 – Tide

wn was quiet, its streets bathed in the soft luminescence of streetlights. B

spoke of celestial alignments, of rituals performed under twin moons, and of beings tha

rose, heart pounding, and opened it to find Riven sta

he said, his voice a soothin

replied, stepping

as Elara shared her discoveries. Riven listen

eak of a connection betwe

oon Rift is a rare event, one

ping away unnoticed. As dawn approached,

Riven said, ris

ispered, her voi

They moved together, drawn by an invisible force, t

-

invisible force, their connection

ce stretched between them, not awkward-just charged with the feel

efore," Elara murmured. "Not in a dre

out the window at the silver-washed forest. "Maybe you have," he said qu

anyone I've eve

imes than I care to count. On Lunaris, time moves differently. But ev

asked, voice b

ou

d on a jagged cliff, his cloak whipping in the wind. His golden

Abinaki, the cold, muscular warrior who had never questioned Lucien's vengeance. The

niffing the wind. "Closer t

ce came low and steady. "He's

to the girl,"

enched. "Then l

friend, Nia, texted her for

s gonna ask you to join us at

leave this moment. The warmth beside her. The man with

n had gr

e here by choice. I was... pulled here. During a shift in the moo

sto

meone?" she

hift tore me from everything. I landed here and before I could f

s death?" s

was the night of their blood moon ritual. My presence disrupted their magic-br

been hunting y

es

ce stretched

run farther?" s

s coming again. And this time... I t

imes. The weight of exile. The quiet loneliness of

nal and took his hand. "You

ove-not away, not an inch. Their lips met, softly at first, then deeper. A kiss that was neither ru

wind stirre

wolves watche

n turned toward the town

nt had

ara's dimly lit living

't know what this is between us," he whispered, his voice rough wi

r heart pounding. "Then s

st hers, closing his eyes. "

ond. Her hands slid into his hair, pulling him closer, not out of urgency, but out of n

been waiting for y

," he sai

hem as the pull of fate tangled with desire.

dark, a howl pi

ogether across galaxies, time, and blood. And neither o

.