The temple air smelled of moon petals and cold incense.
Selene stood motionless at the center of the ceremonial circle. Her crimson gown whispered against the marble floor as she breathed in—slowly, carefully.
The Moonbinding Ritual had begun.
A priestess with white hair chanted softly in the ancient tongue, her hands tracing symbols in the air. Magic shimmered faintly around Selene's wrists, binding her momentarily to the divine.
All noble heirs underwent this ritual on their fifteenth year, marking their passage into adulthood.
But for Selene, it felt like something far older was stirring—something deeper than the usual rites.
Her gaze drifted to the opposite side of the dais.
Lucien Aurelian stood there—golden hair, perfect posture, eyes like burning suns.
He was silent, his expression unreadable. Yet his gaze never left hers.
---
Inside Selene's Mind
A sharp pang struck behind her eyes.
In the swirl of incense and moonlight, visions flashed—brief, fragmented, but terrifyingly vivid.
She saw herself in another life, another body, standing in a battlefield drenched with crimson snow.
A hand reached for hers, fingers trembling.
Golden eyes. His eyes.
> "Selene…"
Her name, whispered across time.
Then darkness.
---
Her knees buckled for a fraction of a second. The priestess caught the subtle motion, but said nothing.
Selene clenched her fists.
Not here. Not now.
---
Lucien's Perspective
Lucien felt it too—a tightening in his chest, like invisible threads pulling at his soul.
For years, he'd endured strange dreams.
Images of burning cities. A scarlet moon. A girl's silhouette walking away from him, again and again.
But now, seeing her standing beneath the aligned moons, the weight of it became unbearable.
Why do I remember you?
The air thickened, magic coiling beneath his skin.
---
A Forbidden Backstory
Unknown to both of them, the ancient priests whispered in hidden corners about a lost legend:
The Crimson and Gold Bond.
A cursed cycle between two souls—one of fire, one of light—doomed to find each other across lifetimes, only to be torn apart by fate's cruel design.
It was not supposed to awaken in this generation.
And yet, here they were.
---
The Ritual's Completion
As the final incantation echoed through the temple, twin beams of moonlight—one gold, one scarlet—descended from the heavens.
They wrapped around Selene and Lucien, intertwining like silk threads.
The crowd gasped. Even the elders, battle-hardened dukes and duchesses, shifted uncomfortably.
This wasn't part of the ritual.
The priestess's chant faltered, eyes widening.
But the magic could not be stopped now.
---
A Single Whisper
In the depth of Selene's mind, she heard the voice again.
> "You promised me… beneath the veil of crimson snow."
Her lips parted, barely audible.
"…Lucien?"
He heard it.
And for the first time in his life, Lucien Aurelian—the kingdom's flawless heir—felt his heart tremble.
---
The moonlight faded.
The ceremony ended.
But the real story had only just begun.