The days passed in whispers and shadows. Elias kept his promise, sneaking food from his family's kitchen and slipping away to the old cellar where Luna hid. He brought her bread, apples, and sometimes even a little honey.
Luna learned to smile with him. It was a small, broken smile, but Elias would laugh anyway, and for a while, she forgot she was different.
But secrets never stay hidden for long.
One evening, as the sun sank behind the hills, Elias arrived late, his breath quick, his lantern shaking in his hand.
"They know," he whispered as he ducked into the cellar. "Someone saw me bringing food here. They're gathering at the square."
Luna's cloudy eyes widened. "Then go," she rasped. "Leave me. If they hurt you—"
Elias shook his head fiercely. "No. I won't leave you. You're not a monster."
Before Luna could answer, the sound of boots thundered above. Angry voices filled the air:
"Check the barn!"
"The boy's hiding it here!"
"Don't let the creature escape!"
Elias grabbed Luna's cold hand. "We have to run."
They slipped out the back, into the forest beyond the village. The trees closed around them, branches clawing at the sky. Luna stumbled, her stiff legs struggling to keep up, but Elias pulled her along, his lantern casting frantic beams of light.
Behind them, shouts grew louder. Torches bobbed like fireflies of hatred.
"There! I see them!"
An arrow whistled past, striking a tree near Luna's head. She gasped, stumbling harder.
"Faster!" Elias urged, his voice breaking.
But Luna's legs buckled. She fell to her knees, her breath ragged though she had no lungs. The villagers were closing in, their torches burning through the trees.
Elias spun, planting himself between Luna and the oncoming crowd. His small frame trembled, but he held the lantern high like a shield.
"Stop!" he shouted. "She's not like the others! She's just a girl!"
The villagers didn't slow. A stone struck his shoulder, knocking the lantern from his hand. It shattered against the earth, spilling fire across the dry leaves.
"Get away from her, boy!" one man roared. "She'll drag you into the grave with her!"
"She's my friend!" Elias screamed, his voice raw. "If you want to hurt her, you'll have to go through me!"
The flames spread, painting the forest in flickering orange. The heat pressed against them, smoke curling into the night.
Luna reached for Elias, her gray fingers shaking. "Please… come with me," she whispered.
But Elias didn't move. He planted his feet, his small hands clenched into fists. For one moment, in the glow of fire, he looked older, stronger—like a hero.
The villagers surged. Someone's blade flashed in the firelight.
Luna screamed—a broken, inhuman sound—as Elias fell.
The world blurred. The fire roared louder, villagers shouting through the smoke. Luna crawled to Elias's side, clutching his limp hand. His eyes fluttered open one last time, meeting hers.
"Don't… be afraid," he whispered. His lips curved into the faintest smile. Then his breath stilled.
Something shattered inside Luna. The hunger, the loneliness, the ache in her chest—all of it twisted into a storm of grief. Her wail tore through the forest, chilling even the bravest villager to the bone.
Terrified, they stumbled back, retreating into the smoke. None dared touch her now.
But Luna didn't care. She clutched Elias's body, rocking gently, her cracked voice murmuring the only words she could find:
"Friend… my friend…"
The fire spread through the forest that night, and the villagers fled back to their homes. By dawn, the flames had died, leaving ash and silence.
In the ruins of the wood, a little zombie girl knelt beside a boy who would never wake again.
And for the first time, she understood what it meant to lose something more precious than life itself.