BOND OF THE FULL MOON

ite put my finger on it, but something was off. It was as if I was no longer the same person. The events of last night, of Elis and I, lingered in my thoughts. I still

t been there before. But it was still too early for questions, and too ear

of herbs and spices filled the air, but it was her presence that calmed me. She had a way of makin

me warmly, turning toward me with a

n thought about it - how could I? After everything that happened, I had forgotten that today marked my passage into adulthood. The same day I gave my innoce

h memory seemed to linger longer than the last, filling me with an uneasy mix of emotions. My

s that led up to something so profound? The way I surrendered to him - without hesit

n't I pause to think? Why didn't I question the overwhelming pull I felt toward him? It was as if the

of person gives so much of themselves to someone they barely know? Someone who w

e me. I was cautious, thoughtful - at least, I had always believed I was. Yet, with Elis, all m

g inside me. Was it the moon? Was that why I acted so impulsively? Or wa

and intoxicating as it was, had changed me forever. And

weakly as I sat down at the table, trying

d, and I hadn't even realized how much until this moment. I wasn't a child anymore. I had lost something - something I could never get back. My innocence.

ently, her voice lined with concern.

turmoil inside me? I couldn't. Not yet. But her question -

y voice barely above a whisper. M

hen?" She ask

asn't there anymore." I said dryl

nything. She just nodded, as if she had already known. Then she sat dow

"And how do you feel

et. My heart still clung to the hope that Elis would come back. He couldn't just disappear, could he? He h

. He didn't say a word, just left before dawn. But I think ...

afe. "You are not the first to experience such a loss, child. Fate,... it's a strange thing. Someti

est, and yet, they made sense. What had I s

asked, the words slipping from

ith him - it's not something that can be undone. But sometimes, people run from what

o understand. "But why? W

ime of her own. "Some bonds are more dangerous than others, my child. Some connections can chang

promise echoed in my thoughts, a whisper of hope that now felt fragile. "I won't leave you," he had said, the sincerity in his

usion and hurt, unable to make sense of his actions. He had looked at me with such intensity, with somethin

hold on to my earlier conviction, the inexplicable certainty I'd felt when our eyes locked, whe

sn't the end. I clung to the belief that he'd return. He had to. Something as profound as what we shared cou

tchen stool and sat i

rds, the weight o

the full moon, and now, I felt like I was standing on the edge of something I did

... different. Like something's changed inside me. And it's not just because it's my birthda

Lily. You have crossed into a new part of your life, whether you are ready or not. And with th

such a short span of time. The innocence of my youth was gone. And Elis had been a part of that loss. But t

eyes. "You may not have all the answers right now, but trust that everything will reveal itself in tim

d of thoughts. But before I could respond, Grandma Miria

r your mind. You've crossed a threshold, and now you mus

contrast to the warmth that had settled in my chest. But even as I walked outside, I couldn't shake the f

esence. A pull that I couldn't ignore. My heart raced as I turned to

fferent. And I wasn't alone. I spun around, my breath catching in my t

illness, my voice barely audibl

eared before I could

, but I knew - whatever