The Festival of Moons -Monday night. Ariana's kingdom glowed under silver lanterns, the air thick with music, perfumes, and voices of noble blood from kingdoms far and wide. The palace gardens were bathed in moonlight, glimmering with crystal fountains and soft laughter. Ariana walked through the crowd, graceful and elegant, yet distant—as though her soul walked a step behind her. She wore silver and soft lilac, her hair cascading like twilight. Her beauty turned heads, but her mind was not on princes… until she met one. Prince Aurelian smiled. "Princess Ariana, your name is more beautiful than I imagined. Would you do me the honour of a dance?" Ariana gave a polite smile, about to speak… when suddenly, a familiar chill danced across her skin. A presence. A breath. Lucian whispered behind her ear, "Don't speak, little dove." A hand closed gently over her mouth. Another curled around her waist. Before anyone noticed—Darkness swallowed them both.
The Secret Room -They reappeared in a dim, velvet-draped chamber far beneath the palace. Candlelight flickered on stone walls. Ariana stumbled back, gasping, her heart hammering. "L-Lucian…?!" she breathed. He stood before her in a sharp black suit, his mask covering half his face, his lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile. "You look ravishing tonight, my dear. Even the moon is jealous." Ariana's eyes searched him—he looked human, hauntingly so, yet something in the air still burned with his dark magic. "You're not supposed to be here," she said nervously. Lucian stepped closer. "I'm not supposed to do many things. Yet here I am… because of you." She backed against the wall, her breath unsteady. But her eyes lingered a moment too long on the line of his jaw, the shape of his mouth. The dream from nights ago flooded back. Lucian whispered, his lips brushing her ear, "I'm not letting you go this time…" And just like that—he vanished. Leaving behind only the scent of his cologne and the rapid beat of her heart. Ariana touched her neck, trembling. "...Why do I feel like I wanted him to stay?"
The Festival Continues -Back in the garden, the lights still shimmered and music floated like silk in the air. But Ariana stood motionless beneath the stars, heart still racing. No one noticed her brief disappearance. No one saw the shadows that had curled around her. But she felt them. Prince Aurelian returned, politely concerned. "Princess? You disappeared for a moment. Are you alright?" "I… just needed some air. It's a little warm tonight." Her voice sounded calm, but her hand trembled slightly as she touched her gown. Every part of her skin still felt like it remembered him. The whisper. The arms around her. The possessiveness in his tone. She tried to distract herself—danced with nobles, smiled at compliments, drank rosewater from a crystal goblet. But every time she laughed, her eyes flicked over her shoulder. Is he still here? Watching me? Why do I want him to be?
Lucian in the Shadows - High above, cloaked in shadow atop the old palace balcony, Lucian stood—mask removed, eyes burning through the crowd. His gaze never left her. "You were trembling… But you didn't pull away this time, Princess. You're beginning to see me," he murmured to himself. His fingers curled around the railing as jealousy flickered briefly in his chest, watching Prince Aurelian try again to charm her. "You're mine, little dove. And I'll remind you… again and again… until even your fear bows to desire."