Night had fallen, soft and peaceful over the village.
The stars had settled into the sky like diamonds, watching in silence over those who slept.
But tonight, two young hearts were not seeking sleep.
— My love, come with me.
He had held out his hand, and without asking a question, she had taken it.
The villagers, discreet yet kind, had arranged everything.
An old couple, who knew love in its silences as well as in its storms, whispered a single phrase to them:
— Go. Tonight, the place is yours.
And so they walked barefoot through the foliage, guided by the glow of the fireflies.
They floated around them like little joyful souls, dancing without a sound.
At the end of the path, hidden in a secret fold of the forest, a small pond shimmered under the moon.
The water was clear, cool, surrounded by moss and smooth rocks.
It looked like something from a fairy tale.
They looked at each other, then laughed softly.
A free laugh, a little shy.
— Do you know how to swim? he asked.
— I know how to float. And to dream. That's not bad, right?
He shrugged, eyes shining.
— Then let's dream together.
They stepped into the water slowly, up to their waists.
Silence wrapped around them—but a beautiful silence, a soothing one.
Then she splashed a little, laughing like a child, and he followed, laughing too.
Their laughter mingled with the fireflies' dance, with the sighs of the trees.
After a while, they sat on a rock at the water's edge.
Mylova, her hair still damp, rested her head on his shoulder.
— You know… I didn't think I'd live all this. I thought the world was only suffering. And then you came.
He murmured:
— Me, I always thought I was born to survive. Not to love. And then you looked at me. Just looked. And I understood that I had the right to exist differently.
A silence. Not an awkward one. A true silence.
Then he added:
— Do you think we deserve this… this kind of happiness?
— I think we never take it by force… but sometimes… sometimes the stars let us have a piece of it. And tonight, it's ours.
He kissed her on the forehead, slowly. And she closed her eyes.
Nothing else existed.
Not the city, not the abbots, not the fear.
Just them, the water, the stars… and life, which, for once, said *yes