The silver light from the altar lingered in the air — like moonlit mist that would never fade.
Eiren stood motionless in the center of the glow, his eyes filled with a tangle of emotions — fear, sorrow, and acceptance.
Lyra watched him, her voice trembling.
"Eiren… you're not just someone who was called back, are you?"
Before he could answer, the ground beneath the altar trembled again.
The silver radiance gathered, forming the shape of a woman draped in flowing robes.
Her body shimmered like a lonely crescent moon in the night — the Queen of the Moon.
Her long hair drifted in the cold wind, and her glowing blue eyes locked onto Lyra — before all the light poured into the young woman's body.
Lyra's heartbeat thundered in her chest. Her hands shook, then stilled.
When she lifted her face, those eyes were no longer hers.
> "At last… you have returned."
The voice that spoke wasn't Lyra's — it was low, soft, and heavy with sorrow.
Eiren froze, his eyes wide.
"Queen… Aria…"
The woman in Lyra's body smiled faintly — a smile woven from longing and pain.
> "You still remember me… even after a thousand years."
Eiren stepped closer. "I never forgot…"
His voice shook. "It was my fault you died. I—"
> "No, Eiren."
She reached out, touching his cheek tenderly.
"You were forced to choose… between me and the world."
A deep, echoing sound like ancient bells resonated from beneath the altar — the voice of the curse, not yet broken.
Aria's eyes dimmed as she looked toward the moon above.
> "Your fate will begin again when the next full moon rises… and this time, you cannot escape it."
Suddenly, the silver light surrounding the altar flickered out.
Lyra's eyes slowly returned to normal as she collapsed into Eiren's arms, her body weak as though her strength had been drained away.
"Lyra! Lyra, can you hear me?" Eiren held her tightly.
She whispered faintly, "There was… something inside me…"
Eiren looked up at the silent sky — the half-moon hung above the forest.
In his gaze burned both fear and a vow he could no longer turn away from.
> "I won't let it happen again… not this time. No matter the cost."