Leon found himself standing on a quiet grass plain.
The ground rolled gently beneath his feet, blades of grass swaying as if stirred by a breath that did not belong to any wind. Ahead lay a small pond, its surface smooth as polished glass. Moonlight spilled across it in silver waves. The moon hung impossibly close, bright and watchful, yet the sky was empty of stars. It felt deliberate, as if this place refused to allow anything else to shine.
Leon scanned the horizon once, then again, until his eyes settled on the lone figure by the pond.
She stood with her back to him.
Long black hair fell down her back like liquid night, framing a silhouette so unnaturally perfect it felt unreal. Even without seeing her face, there was a gravity to her presence that pulled at him. If Leon had still been bound by ordinary instincts, his body would have betrayed him on the spot. But he wasn't ordinary anymore, and he knew better than to let surface beauty distract him.
He approached calmly.
