Eili lay on her back among the soft silvery grass, gazing up at the sky where clouds shifted shape with every moment. Her heavy breathing gradually calmed, but Lumis could see how tense her posture remained.
He sat down beside her, not daring to interrupt her thoughts. His own feelings were mixed: fear of the shadows that pursued them intertwined with a strange confidence in their connection.
— Are you always this confident? — he broke the silence.
Eili turned her head towards him, and her eyes sparkled in the light.
— No. But I’ve learned to appear that way. Sometimes it’s the only weapon you have.
— And now? — he asked. — You look like the weight of this world is on your shoulders.
She let out a short laugh, but her laughter was bitter.
— Perhaps it is. Someone has to know what’s going on. And understand what we’re getting into.
Lumis leaned in closer, hanging on every word.
— And what if you’re wrong?
Eili looked at him, and something flickered in her eyes that he could not decipher.
— That would mean everything I’ve done was in vain.
He fell silent, feeling his own resolve beginning to waver. Their world was so perplexing that even the most correct actions could lead to catastrophe.
— But that’s not what this is about right now, — she said, sitting up. Her voice became softer, and her gaze warmer.
Eili reached for him, touching his hand.
— Do you know what amazes me most about you?
— What? — he held his breath.
— You always ask the right questions.
Her words sounded simple, but they carried a depth he hadn’t expected. Lumis felt a warmth fill his chest.
— And what amazes me about you is how you respond to them, — he said, leaning closer.
Eili did not pull away, and their faces were so close that he could feel her breath. Her lips curled into a barely noticeable smile.
— And what do you want to know now? — she whispered.
— What are you hiding?
Her smile vanished, but she did not turn away.
— Do you really want to know?
— Yes.
Eili was silent for a few seconds, then slowly leaned closer. Her lips brushed his ear, and her voice sounded like a whisper of the wind.
— I’m hiding that I’m afraid of losing you.
Lumis shuddered at her words. They felt significant, almost sacred. He raised his hand and gently traced his fingers over her face.
— You won’t lose me, — he said, and his voice surprised even himself with its assurance.
Eili gazed into his eyes, as if trying to find reassurance. Then she leaned toward him, and their lips met again in a kiss. But this time, the kiss was different—deeper, more passionate, filled with desire and fear.
The world around them faded once more, leaving only the two of them, lost in their own world. Yet at the edge of their consciousness, the shadow of new trials began to emerge, waiting ahead.