The moonlight bathed the palace gardens in a silvery glow, casting soft shadows across the flowers as Sadiki and Drystan twirled to their imaginary tune.
Their footsteps were light on the grass, their laughter floating through the cool evening air.
It had started as a playful moment, Sadiki teasing Drystan, and Drystan, in turn, insisting on another dance. But something had shifted as they moved, something neither of them could ignore.
Drystan's eyes were fixed on Sadiki, who was smiling with an ease he hadn't seen in so long.
His heart, usually guarded and disciplined, pounded harder in his chest. He felt a pull, an undeniable urge to close the gap between them, to do something he'd been holding back for weeks now.
Sadiki was lost in the moment, enjoying the freedom of spinning in the garden, his hand clasped in Drystan's.
