At exactly one o'clock in the morning, Stephanie had fallen into a deep sleep, drifting through her endless dreams. It was a perfect summer night; the air in the room was soft and light, caressed by gentle breezes stealing through the open window. As for the dark sky, it was studded with stars that shimmered like rare jewels, and silence reigned supreme.
At that precise moment, Ravaz appeared out of nowhere, as he always did—but this time, he appeared in his full form, with absolute clarity. He wasn't hiding as he had in all his previous visits. He felt something entirely different: a happiness tinged with fear and awe. Every atom of the sacred light within him trembled; this had long been his greatest wish, yet he feared crossing a line that was never meant to be crossed.
Nevertheless, his body led him to approach her quietly, as if careful not to disturb her slumber. He took a deep breath, as he did every time, inhaling the air surrounding her. In that proximity, it seemed as though the entire universe no longer mattered—only this moment. He drew closer slowly, his eyes overflowing with life, while a faint ache stirred within him; for long years, he could only watch her from afar. Now, he was closer to her than ever before, feeling her presence as if she were a part of him.
Despite being submerged in sleep, Stephanie woke up to the familiar scent that filled the room—his unique fragrance. She opened her eyes slowly, trying to process what was happening, and the first thing she saw was Ravaz's face just inches from hers. She reached out tenderly to touch him and whispered in a faint voice:
"Is it truly you? Thank you for returning as you promised."
She said it with a warm voice, her face glowing with a small smile despite the tears beginning to well in her eyes. Ravaz's hand moved through her hair as he experienced something he never thought possible: touching her and speaking with her like this, as if all his wishes were coming true at once. Stephanie rested her head against his neck, breathing in his deep scent, and said in a curious tone:
"Your scent... nothing else is like it. I can't explain it, but I truly love it."
Her words flowed like a melody playing on the strings of light inside Ravaz. He smiled radiantly and said calmly:
"I never thought I would be with you like this."
A shared shyness settled between them, but Ravaz broke the moment with a sudden question:
"Do you still wish to see the Glowing Forest and...?"
Stephanie looked into his eyes, her gaze brimming with hope and a longing for new adventures:
"Yes! And also the Aurora Borealis... and the sea glowing with phosphorescent algae."
Then she added with a hint of sadness:
"But I cannot go... my grandmother is elderly, and she depends on me for her livelihood."
Ravaz answered calmly, his eyes sparkling like diamonds:
"Is one hour in each place enough for you to enjoy it?"
He asked as if this moment were carving itself into the depths of his being. Stephanie laughed softly:
"What are you saying? Maybe two weeks each time... perhaps one day I will travel once a year to see them all."
Ravaz smiled with a boyish mischievousness:
"You are funny... I travel between universes in the blink of an eye, and you think I won't take you there instantly?"
Stephanie fell silent for a moment. Despite her trust in Ravaz, fear crept into her, but for the first time in her life, she chose risk over hesitation. Then she said enthusiastically:
"Of course! I am ready."
Ravaz needed no more than those words to begin demonstrating his skills. He pulled a small, square black object from his pocket, no larger than a piece of chocolate, adorned with glowing engravings. He placed it carefully on Stephanie's neck and whispered:
"This will protect you from the speed."
Stephanie asked curiously:
"Can't you go a little slower? I want the wind to touch my hair."
Ravaz, who knew her well, replied:
"I don't think the time I have allows me to go as slowly as you'd like. Slowness for me might be enough to strip the skin from your bones in the blink of an eye."
Stephanie playfully hit his shoulder:
"Oh my God, I don't want to die! You're the expert here."
Ravaz pressed the device gently, and a transparent aura resembling living energy emanated from it, surrounding Stephanie on all sides, then permeating inward. She seemed wrapped in a suit of light, covering her inside and out. Stephanie stood in awe, speechless.
But Ravaz drew closer and blew softly on her hair. His eyes sparkled with joy. The warm breath touched her neck and sent small waves through her hair. She said with joy and excitement:
"Ravaz, I can feel that!"
He replied: "Of course you can. What surrounds you is a protective energy suit; it doesn't block your senses, it only protects you, that's all."
Then he added: "Shall we go? Time is pressing."
Stephanie answered with confidence and enthusiasm: "Let's go."
Ravaz wrapped his arms around her, forming a circle of light. Suddenly, they vanished from sight, leaving everything in the room as it was, as if they had never been there. The room became a mere passing memory in an instant before they reappeared in the heart of the Glowing Forest.
The shimmering trees stretched in every direction, and everything seemed radiant with magical colors, with a luminous green dominating the scene. Stephanie wandered around, holding Ravaz's hand behind her. Her eyes sparkled with joy as she took in the enchanting place. Everything was perfect, breathing life into the soul. Even the plants seemed magical, and the wind and mist shimmered.
The star-studded sky looked more beautiful than ever. Excitement filled Stephanie's heart, which beat wildly, her thoughts racing with the dream manifesting before her. But what amazed her most was Ravaz, who walked right behind her, holding her hand with a tender smile and a heart full of devotion just by seeing her happy. It was as if the world had stopped around him... nothing existed except her presence with him.
After moments of immersion in the forest's magic, Ravaz looked warmly at Stephanie and said with a tender expression:
"This was our first stop, and now it is time to move to the next place. Are you ready for the Glowing Sea?"
She replied with a wide grin: "Of course! I never thought I would see it... but now, with you, everything seems possible."
Ravaz smiled and raised his hand. In an instant, the scene around them vanished completely. Suddenly, Stephanie found herself on a beach where soft white sand stretched endlessly toward the horizon. But what caught her attention was the strange shimmer emanating from the water. The sea, lit by bioluminescent algae, sparkled in the dark, glowing with soft colors shifting between pale blue, delicate pink, and gentle green. With every wave that hit the shore, the water pulsed with life, as if it carried millions of stars swimming beneath its surface.
She raised her hands in wonder, her eyes wide with amazement. Then she scooped up a handful of the glowing water and playfully splashed it toward Ravaz before jumping into the sea, laughing like a child. Ravaz chased her, splashing her back, and they laughed together with a joy neither had ever known before.
The agreed-upon hour passed very quickly.
Ravaz said in a low voice: "I believe it is time for the Aurora Borealis."
Stephanie nodded, her eyes shining with new excitement, as if every moment with Ravaz brought a new kind of magic and wonder.
As soon as she finished speaking, their image vanished in the blink of an eye, only to reappear in a cold land in the far north. Cold winds swept through the place, but the warmth of the moment and the wonder in Stephanie's eyes filled the air with magic. She looked around; colors danced in the sky between green and purple, and the lights of the aurora alone were enough to make her heart dance with joy.
Silence enveloped everything. Stephanie lay on the ground and motioned for Ravaz to lie beside her. She contemplated his features and thought to herself in wonder: "Is all of this real?"
She looked at him with love and silently asked herself: "Why is he so perfect? His sculpted nose, his rosy lips, his eyes glowing like a deep well of eternal light. Am I worthy of him? Can I ever be enough?"
She felt she was no match for him, that she didn't even reach a small fraction of his perfection. But she found no answers; all she knew in that moment was that she was falling in love... in love with something impossible.
Ravaz noticed her gaze as he gazed at the sky, so he turned toward her and asked curiously:
"Are you tired? Why aren't you watching the lights?"
Stephanie did not answer; she merely smiled, then raised her gaze back toward the sky where the shimmering lights flowed like a painted poem, twisting and shifting between deep colors, dancing with the wind.
Stephanie whispered with a voice full of gratitude:
"Thank you... for making me see all of this. You have fulfilled my dreams. I only wish I could fulfill even one of yours."
Ravaz answered with quiet confidence and love: "You already have."
Stephanie looked at him in surprise: "Really? When?"
He didn't answer. He just smiled—a silent smile that said everything without words. But Stephanie's curiosity burned within her, the question hanging clearly on her face. Though it was on the tip of her tongue, she chose not to ask.
Ravaz placed his finger gently on Stephanie's lips, signaling her to remain silent, and whispered:
"Time is almost up."
Stephanie looked deeply into Ravaz's eyes, saying to herself: "That trembling light inside your eyes... is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. I believe it is enough to compensate me for the entire world."
She smiled softly and went back to watching the Aurora Borealis. Silence shrouded the moment as they watched the dancing lights together—a deceptive calm, for the storms within them were growing. Storms of confusion, hope, and fear. Both knew from the beginning that what bound them was "forbidden" and called for punishment, yet the feeling of longing and need for the other was strong enough to push them to take the risk, clinging to the hope that their secret would remain hidden forever.
Finally, it was time to return. After three hours, it felt as though they had stolen those moments from time itself, as if the hands of the clock had felt shy and slowed down for the sake of pure, fleeting happiness. Each wished the moment would never end, but no one possesses the power to stop time forever.
Stephanie asked with a voice full of hope: "Can't we stay a little longer?"
Ravaz replied, sadness shimmering in his eyes: "I wish we could... but staying any longer than this would mean my end."
Stephanie was shocked, terror creeping into her voice: "What do you mean by your end? Do you mean you will die?"
She stood up quickly and cried out: "Then let's go. let's go now!"
In a fleeting moment, they vanished together, appearing once more in Stephanie's room. Dawn had begun to break, its faint light creeping from behind the curtains, while silence filled the place like the silence that precedes a secret.
Stephanie said quickly, anxiety gnawing at her: "Leave now... I fear something bad will happen to you."
But Ravaz, despite the slow pain beginning to intensify within him, smiled a calm smile born from the womb of joy—because she feared for him. That alone was enough to make him want to stay a little longer, to cling to the moment.
Before he departed, he approached and said in a tender tone:
"Do you know which wish of mine you fulfilled?"
Stephanie whispered with fearful eyes: "What is it?"
Ravaz's image began to fade, his voice echoing like a breeze between reality and fantasy as he said:
"Your existence... is my wish."
Then he vanished, as if he had never been there at all. But his trace... remained alive in her heart. Ravaz disappeared, leaving behind a ghost of a smile in her heart and a longing that would burn slowly until their next meeting.