The night was quiet, except for the sound of light footsteps crossing the palace garden. Yaran, with her hair tied up and comfortable clothes, stood still, raising her bow and drawing the arrow. Her eyes focused on an imaginary target between the trees. The cold air blew on her face, but she did not move.

“Focus… Steadfastness…” she whispered to herself before quickly releasing the arrow.

But suddenly, she felt gazes piercing the darkness. Her hand quickly pulled a new arrow, and she turned around to search for the source of the sensation.

“Who’s there?” she called in a steady voice despite her racing heart.

She did not wait long for a response. The shadows of a man appeared between the trees. Yaran fired her arrow without hesitation, but the strong hand caught the arrow in the air.

“Is that all you learned?” the deep voice said.

She froze for a moment. The man stepped into the light, and her eyes met his luminous blue ones. Enferos… her husband. He stood confidently, his white hair shining in the moonlight, his eyes examining her intently.

“En… Enverus?” She spoke softly, taking a step back, but she quickly pulled herself together.

“You’ve changed, Yaran.” He said as he approached her, his features carrying a mixture of surprise and admiration.

She stood still, not lowering her gaze this time. “Time is enough to change anyone.” She replied in a serious tone.

A faint laugh escaped him. “Yes… but I didn’t expect to change like this.”

She was silent, contemplating the man she had barely dealt with in the past years. His hard features were familiar, but today they seemed different… warmer.

“What do you want?” she finally asked, breaking the silence.

He looked at her for a long time before saying, “I want to know… what have you become, Yaran?”

He left her with the question and walked away, while she remained in her place, looking at the arrow he had returned to her.