The next morning, the capital of Aerthrial awoke beneath silver mist and fading moonlight.
The nobles returned to their estates, leaving the temple behind like a discarded stage after a performance.But for Selene and Lucien, the performance was just beginning.
Selene's Carriage
Selene sat silently in her carriage, eyes unfocused as the wheels rolled over cobblestone streets.
Her mother, Lady Rhiannon, sat across from her, fingers laced elegantly in her lap. Despite her soft features, there was always something cold about her—like porcelain carved too perfectly.
"You embarrassed the family last night," Lady Rhiannon said softly, eyes sharp as knives. "The ceremony wasn't meant to summon ancient magic."
Selene's gaze remained fixed out the window.The city blurred past—flags, towers, street vendors setting up for the day.
"I didn't summon anything," she replied quietly.
Her mother's lips thinned. "Then why did the moons bind you to him?"
Selene didn't answer.
Because she didn't know.Or perhaps, deep down, she did.
The Aurelian Estate
Meanwhile, in the heart of the capital, Lucien trained alone in the Aurelian courtyard.
His sword cut through the mist with perfect precision—silent, deadly, controlled.
Who was I before this life?
The question gnawed at him more than any opponent ever could.
In his previous dreams, faces blurred, names faded. But last night, when Selene spoke his name on the balcony, it had unlocked something in him.
A memory of a snow-covered battlefield.
Her body in his arms, lifeless. His hands, stained red—not from her blood, but from his own.
Caius Thornveil's Arrival
Back in the palace, Caius Thornveil stood before the king's advisory council.
He wore a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"My lords," Caius said, bowing just enough to be polite without being submissive, "I bring news from the Moonbinding Ceremony."
The nobles glanced at each other warily.No one trusted Caius—not because of his bastard blood, but because he had no loyalties. Not to crown. Not to family. Not to anyone.
"The crimson and gold souls have awakened," he continued, his tone casual, almost bored. "If the old legends are true, this could mean one of two things."
A pause.
"Either the kingdom rises to a new golden age…"
His smirk sharpened.
"Or it falls into ruin."
A Glimpse of the Past
That night, Selene dreamt again.
But this time, the dream was clearer.
She stood in a ruined palace, snow drifting through shattered windows. Her red gown trailed behind her, torn and soaked with ice.
Lucien—no, not Lucien, but someone who looked like him—stood across from her, his sword buried in the chest of a dying god.
"We did it," he whispered, blood trickling from the corner of his lips.
Her heart broke.
"No… we destroyed the world."
Awakening
Selene's eyes snapped open.
Her bedsheets clung to her skin, cold with sweat.
The twin moons were still visible from her window, fading slowly into dawn.
She pressed a hand against her chest, feeling her pulse race beneath her palm.
What are these memories?Who was I? Who was he?
And worse—
What did we do?
The Storm Begins
In the coming days, rumors would spread across Aerthrial:
That the Scarlet Rose of Valeburne and the Golden Heir of Aurelian were tied together by something unnatural.
Some whispered it was destiny.Others, a curse.
But one thing was certain—
This was no ordinary love story.
It was the continuation of an ancient war that had never truly ended.