Three days had passed since the night Sofia and Dragoș had met Miral.
Since then, the castle seemed changed — not in the walls, but in the air that enveloped it.
The nights were clearer, and the mornings brought with them a kind of living silence, as if each leaf had listened to something unseen.
Sofia could no longer find peace.
The crystal given by Miral never completely extinguished. Under her pillow, it continued to pulse gently, like a heart that breathed to the rhythm of the forest.
Sometimes, she felt it warm as fire, sometimes cold as moonlight.
Her father, the King, had noticed the change.
At the table, while the sun was just rising over the stone towers, he looked at her with a raised eyebrow:
— "Sofia, haven't you slept again?"
The girl smiled weakly.
— "I dreamed of the forest, father. It was… alive."
— "The forest is just a collection of trees. You let it bother you too much."
His tone was cold, but not malicious. He didn't understand what was hidden behind the light.
— "But I think there's more," she said. "I feel it calling me."
— "Then stop listening," he concluded. "The voice of reason is surer than the whispers of the wind."
Sofia looked down.
Only her mother touched her hand, saying nothing. In the Queen's eyes, the morning light seemed deeper, like water hiding old secrets.
After lunch, the girl climbed the small tower—the place where she felt closest to heaven.
There, the stained glass windows cast colored streaks across the floor, and the wind smelled of old stone and dried flowers.
She took out the crystal. Inside it, lights swirled, like threads of gold moving slowly.
Through the window, she could see the Itezista forest, bathed in the blue mist of midday.
— "Miral…" she whispered. "You told me to follow the light… but where does it lead?"
When she closed her eyes, a faint voice touched her mind—gentle but clear:
"Don't just look with your eyes, Sofia. Listen with your heart."
She started. She turned suddenly.
But there was no one.
— "You're there, aren't you?" she asked.
The wind rustled through the stained glass windows, and a few leaves tumbled through the air. On one of them, for a moment, a trace of light was visible—Miral's sign.
— "You woke up early, Sofia."
Her mother's voice made her turn. The Queen stood in the doorway, wearing a simple dress the color of clouds. Around her neck, her pendant shone discreetly—a round, silver stone that seemed to absorb sunlight.
— "I couldn't sleep," Sofia said. "I keep hearing a song… like a breath coming from the forest."
The Queen smiled slightly, but there was a painful depth in her gaze.
— "It's the song of balance. I used to hear it too, once. Our ancestors said that the forest speaks only to those who can feel both light and shadow."
— "Do you think Dragoş hears it too?" the girl asked.
— "Yes. Each of you carries a part of the calling. You are the Sun, Sofia. He is the Moon. That was decided from the moment you both stepped under the gaze of the forest."
— "The Sun…" she repeated softly, touching the crystal. "But what does it mean?"
— "The sun gives life, lights, heals. It is courage, fire, the beginning. The light that shows the way to the lost."
The queen touched her cheek.
— "You were born under the sign of the Sun, Sofia. But you also have the shadow of my heart in you. I was blessed by the Moon, and your father carries the strength of the earth. You are the bridge between everything — the one who can keep the whole world in balance."
Sofia felt her heart beat fast.
— "And Miral? Why did he choose me?"
The queen was silent for a moment. In the light of the stained glass, her eyes seemed moist.
— "Because he is my brother."
The girl flinched.
— "What? Miral… my uncle?"
The queen nodded.
— "Yes. He was a man like us, once. But he left his body to become the guardian between the worlds. He is the voice of the forest, the one who watches over the balance between Light and Moon."
Sofia looked at the crystal with new eyes. Now she felt it alive, warm, like a blood bond.
— "I have to find him," she said firmly. "I have to find out why he chose me."
— "Not yet," her mother stopped her. "First you must learn to control your light. The sun is a powerful but unforgiving force. If you let it burn out of balance, it can consume everything—even you."
Sofia was silent. The wind moved smoothly through the windows, carrying the smell of rain.
Then she smiled.
— "Dragos is Luna. He knows how to be silent. Maybe he will help me learn to listen."
The queen squeezed her hand.
— "Yes. The sun illuminates, but the moon makes it beautiful. Just as Light and Shadow cannot part without losing the world."
For a moment, silence settled between them.
The sun shone through the stained glass windows, mixing with the silver of the Queen's pendant. A perfect circle was drawn on the floor—half gold, half silver.
— "See, Sofia?" said her mother. "This is what balance looks like. This is how your hearts should be."
The girl hugged the crystal to her chest and felt a gentle warmth pour out of it.
In the distance, the Itezista forest rustled softly—like an answer.