The night wind had died down.
Sofia and Dragoș walked slowly along the path between the dew-drenched roses. Behind them, the Itezista forest seemed to sigh in its sleep, and the moon followed them silently, like an unseen guardian.
The girl clutched the crystal she had received from Miral in her palm. She could feel it pulsating gently, like a living heart.
Dragoș walked alongside, holding the flashlight in her hand, but its flame barely flickered — as if the light no longer came from her alone, but from the two of them.
— "It's quiet everywhere," Dragoș murmured.
— "Yes," Sofia said, looking toward the forest. "As if the forest were listening to us."
A strange stillness was visible on her face — not fear, but a kind of melancholy.
She paused for a moment and pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders. The air was cold, but full of life.
— "Dragoș…"
— "Hm?"
— "Do you think Miral chose us for something? Or… was he just testing us?"
Dragoș was silent for a while, looking at the flashlight. Then he answered slowly:
— "I think he saw us for who we really are. You have the heart of light… I'm just trying to follow it."
Sofia looked at him for a long time. In his eyes she saw a sincerity she had never seen in anyone before.
She moved closer, until the flame of the flashlight touched their cheeks.
— "Don't underestimate yourself, Dragoș," she told him. "If the forest let you in, it means you have something of the light too."
They were both silent. The wind blew through the branches, and the rustle of the leaves sounded like the whisper of an old song.
A distant bell rang from the castle—it was late.
Sofia turned to him and sighed.
— "I have to go back. Mom will be worried."
— "I'll take you to the gate," Dragoş said simply.
They walked together, and the way back seemed longer than the way they came. With each step, the ground shimmered slightly—the traces of their footsteps lit up for a moment, then went out.
— "See?" Sofia said, looking down. "The ground remembers us."
— "Or warns us," Dragoş said jokingly.
Sofia laughed softly, but her laughter quickly melted into the night.
After a few moments, she said something unexpected:
— "Dragoş… mom told me I was going to have a brother. Or a sister. Can you imagine?"
— "Really?" he asked, surprised.
— "Yes. She said she'd be born in a few months."
Dragoş smiled.
— "Then you'll be the older sister."
The girl nodded, then added in a soft voice:
— "Yes, but… I feel that he is not just a child. That he is something more. That the forest knew before me."
— "What do you mean?"
Sofia squeezed the crystal in her palm. Its light strengthened for a moment.
— "When Miral gave it to me, I felt that I was not alone. That two hearts pulse within me. Maybe it was a vision, but I think that child… is connected to the light."
Dragoș looked at her fascinated.
— "Maybe he is the chosen one of the forest. Or maybe it is you."
Sofia smiled slightly.
— "Maybe we are both part of the same story."
A gust of wind passed between them, carrying a shiver. The forest rustled deeply, like a sigh.
From the trunk of an old tree, a spark broke loose and rose to the sky—a small, blue light that faded among the stars.
Dragoș watched her with his eyes.
— "It's as if the forest is blessing us."
— "Or warning us again," she said, this time without laughing.
When they reached the castle gate, Sofia stopped.
The light of the flashlight illuminated her face, and her eyes were full of warmth.
— "Dragoș…"
— "Yes?"
— "If one day everything changes, do you promise that you'll be there? Even if the world separates us?"
He looked her straight in the eyes.
— "I swear. As long as my ring shines, I'll be close."
Sofia smiled, tears in her eyes.
— "Then I swear too. As long as my crystal shines, my heart will know where you are."
For a moment, the light of the two relics merged. The crystal and the ring shone in an intense white, and the air was filled with a gentle warmth.
It was like a breath of the forest.
Like an unspoken covenant.
Dragoș took a step back.
— "Good night, Sofia."
— "Good night… and thank you for coming."
He smiled.
— "I'm never going to let you walk alone in the dark."
The girl climbed the steps to the castle. When she turned for a moment, Dragoș was still there, the flashlight in her hand.
A small flame in a sea of night.
From the window of her room, Sofia looked out at the forest.
In the distance, the trees moved slowly, as if in a slow dance.
And somewhere, far away, a voice whispered in her mind:
"The light has only just been born, Sofia. But the shadows have begun to move again."
The girl closed her eyes and clutched the crystal to her chest.
She knew, without understanding why, that the journey had only just begun.