We ascended higher, above the city's glittering chaos, above the smog and the noise, until the air was thin and crisp and the world below us was nothing but a distant hum.
I took her to the highest building in the city, a place where the sky was so vast it felt like we were standing at the edge of forever. The moon hung low and golden, casting Julie in silver light, and the stars above us burned so brightly it was like they'd been placed there just for this moment.
I set her down gently, my hands lingering at her waist, my heart pounding so hard I was sure she could hear it. "Don't open them yet," I murmured, my voice thick with emotion.
I took out the ring from the System Storage where I'd kept it hidden—waiting for this moment, this perfect moment.
The ring was everything she deserved: a band of platinum, delicate and strong, with a single, flawless diamond that caught the moonlight and scattered it into a thousand tiny promises.
Julie's name was also engraved on it.
