The forest stretched endlessly around them, each tree a looming sentinel cloaked in mist. Morning light had broken hours ago, yet the canopy above was so thick that only faint shafts of gold filtered through, casting shifting patterns across the ground. The air carried a chill, heavier than the mountain breeze they had grown used to.
Iris tightened her cloak and glanced at Luna. Their hands were still twined together, as though neither could bear to let go after the night they had shared. It was such a small thing, yet it felt monumental. After years of solitude, secrecy, and hidden scars, holding Luna's hand openly—even with Selene walking just a few paces ahead—felt like a declaration.
Selene, for her part, said nothing. If she noticed the softness between them, she gave no sign. Her steps were purposeful, her eyes sharp, scanning the trees as though expecting danger at every turn.
Iris tried to mimic her vigilance, but her heart was still wrapped in the warmth of last night. Every time Luna smiled at her—even the faint, fleeting curve of her lips—Iris's chest tightened in a way that made it hard to think of anything else.
But the forest itself refused to be ignored.
The deeper they went, the more unnatural it became. Birds were silent. No breeze stirred the branches. Even their footsteps seemed muffled, as though the earth itself was reluctant to acknowledge their presence.
It was Luna who broke the silence first. "This place feels wrong," she murmured.
Selene nodded grimly. "It's not just the curse. Seraphine's shadow lingers here. She passed through not long ago."
Iris swallowed, unease prickling her skin. "How can you tell?"
"Because the forest remembers," Selene replied simply. "And because she wants us to follow."
They pressed on, though the atmosphere grew heavier with every step. Iris felt it most acutely when they entered a clearing where the mist seemed to swirl unnaturally. Her hand tightened around Luna's, her heart hammering.
"Stay close," Selene warned.
But before they could take another step, the mist began to gather. It thickened into tendrils, curling and twisting until it formed the faint outline of a figure. A woman draped in black silk, her face obscured by a veil, her voice soft yet cutting.
"You've come far," the Woman in Black whispered, her words carrying unnaturally on the still air. "But you walk toward your own ruin."
Iris's blood went cold. The voice wasn't just heard—it was felt, threading through her mind like smoke, slipping into the cracks of her thoughts.
Beside her, Luna stiffened. "Show yourself," she demanded, her voice steady though her grip on Iris betrayed her tension.
The figure tilted her head, veil shifting just enough for a glimpse of pale skin and lips curved into a smile. "Oh, but I have shown myself. To you, to her…" Her gaze—sharp even through the veil—landed on Iris. "Especially her."
Iris's breath caught. It was as though invisible fingers brushed her cheek, her thoughts, her fears.
"You're fragile," the Woman in Black whispered, though her lips barely moved. "No matter how tightly she holds you, you'll only slow her down. You'll break, and when you do, she'll shatter with you."
"Iris—don't listen," Luna said sharply, stepping in front of her.
But the whisper was already inside. Iris could hear her own doubts echoing in it—the quiet fear that she was unworthy of Luna, that she was nothing compared to the strength, the destiny, the bloodline Luna carried.
The Woman in Black smiled as if she could taste it. "She deserves power, legacy, a partner who can stand at her side when kingdoms fall. What can you give her but chains of weakness?"
Something inside Iris snapped. She stepped forward, her voice trembling but firm. "I can give her love. Something you clearly know nothing about."
For a moment, silence fell. Then a low laugh slipped through the veil, soft but cruel.
"Love is the sweetest shackle of all," the Woman in Black said. "And when it breaks, it cuts deepest."
The mist swirled violently, and the figure began to fade. But before vanishing completely, she turned her head toward Selene.
"And you," she purred. "How long will you guard what is already lost? Seraphine still remembers you. She still calls you sister."
Selene's hands clenched around her blades, her jaw tightening. But she said nothing as the mist dissipated, leaving only silence behind.
They stood there for a long moment, each of them shaken in different ways.
Iris's chest heaved with unspoken words, doubts gnawing at her. But Luna turned to her immediately, gripping her shoulders firmly.
"Don't you dare believe her," Luna said fiercely. "You are not weak, Iris. Do you hear me? You're the reason I'm still standing. Without you, all of this would mean nothing."
The raw conviction in her voice tore through Iris's fear, though tears stung her eyes. She nodded shakily and pressed her forehead against Luna's. "I just… I don't want to lose you."
"You won't," Luna promised, kissing her gently, firmly, sealing the vow with touch rather than words.
Selene cleared her throat softly, not unkindly. "We should move. The longer we linger, the stronger her whispers will become."
But as they walked, Iris noticed something in Selene's silence—something brittle. The Woman in Black's parting words had struck a nerve.
The forest grew darker as the day waned. Roots twisted like serpents across the path, and the mist clung stubbornly to their ankles.
They stopped by a narrow ravine to rest, the water below rushing fast and cold. Selene sat apart, sharpening her blades with methodical precision, though her eyes were distant.
Iris leaned against Luna, her head on her shoulder, exhaustion weighing her down. But even in weariness, there was comfort. Luna's arm around her was steady, grounding.
For a time, they simply breathed together.
But the peace shattered in an instant.
The ground trembled, and before anyone could react, a fissure split across the ravine's edge. Luna, who had been closest, stumbled as the earth gave way beneath her feet.
"Luna!" Iris screamed, lunging forward.
In that split second, time seemed to slow. Luna's body tilted toward the ravine, the roar of the river below deafening. Panic surged, but Iris didn't hesitate. She grabbed Luna's wrist, every muscle straining as she fought against the pull of gravity.
Their eyes met—Luna's wide with shock, Iris's burning with desperation.
"I've got you!" Iris cried, her voice raw.
The earth crumbled further, stones tumbling into the water below. Selene rushed forward, bracing Iris's shoulders, adding her strength.
With one last, desperate pull, they dragged Luna back onto solid ground.
The three of them collapsed together, gasping.
Luna immediately reached for Iris, her hands cupping her face. "You saved me—"
"Don't you dare scare me like that again," Iris choked out, tears spilling freely. She buried her face against Luna's neck, clutching her as though she'd never let go.
Luna held her just as tightly, her own breath shaky. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
But as Iris trembled in her arms, a thought lingered like a shadow:
The Woman in Black had promised ruin.
And for the first time, Iris feared she might not be wrong.