The sky had slipped gracefully from amber to deepening blue, and now to the soft hush of lavender - twilight unfolding like a silken veil. One by one, the stars blinked awake, shy and steady in the vast stretch of evening. They shimmered quietly overhead, and so did she, bathed in the tender hues of autumn, her coat kissed by the last warmth of the day.
As the light faded, a cool mist rose from the heated ground, weaving through the grasses like a secret. She stepped a little closer to him, drawn by the comfort of shared warmth, yet mindful of the unspoken space between them. They had only just met and still, something about him felt known, like an old melody remembered on instinct.
Surely it was too soon to be so near. Wasn’t it? She gave a faint shake of her head, the soft strands of her blonde hair catching the breeze and falling like silk across her neck.
Her ears twitched at the sound of his name - foreign and musical, like a candle flame catching light. Nico. The name curled in her mind like smoke, strange and beautiful. There was a spark to it that she liked. She listened as he spoke of Tinuvel, of his kin and his memories, his voice rich with quiet pride. It made her smile - how easily he held love for them, how freely he shared it. In her own home, parting ways was a rite of passage, a step toward destiny. But now, hearing him, she found herself wondering if roots could be just as noble as wings.
“All right then, Nico,” she said softly, agreeing.
“I am,” she added after a pause, her gaze following his as it lifted to the stars. “It’s so beautiful here, beneath the stars.”
A breath, a heartbeat. Then, almost quieter than the breeze itself:
“Especially with you.”
✨ ella! ✨
everyone lives but us.