Aria's mind reeled with questions. What secrets was her mother hiding? And what did Kael mean by "compassionate like her mother"?
As she walked home, lost in thought, a figure emerged from the shadows.
"Min-Soo?" Aria asked, her heart skipping a beat.
Min-Soo's expression softened.
"I've been watching you, Aria. Ensuring you're safe."
Aria's cheeks flushed.
"You don't have to."
Min-Soo's eyes locked onto hers.
"I want to. You're...different, Aria. Special."
The air thickened with tension. Aria sensed a hidden emotion behind Min-Soo's words.
"Min-Soo?" she whispered.
He stepped closer, his breath caressing her ear.
"I've been wanting to tell you something. But I'm afraid of ruining our friendship."
Aria's heart pounded.
"Try me," she urged.
Min-Soo's eyes searched hers.
"Aria, I...I think I might be falling for you."
The moonlight seemed to brighten, illuminating the vulnerability in Min-Soo's eyes.
Aria's lips curled into a smile.
"I've felt it too," she confessed. "This...connection between us."
Min-Soo's face lit up with joy.
"Aria?"
Their lips met in a soft, gentle kiss. The world around them melted away.
But as they parted, reality intruded.
"Min-Soo, what about Kael? And the Shadowborn's curse?"
Min-Soo's expression turned serious.
"We'll face it together, Aria. As long as we have each other."
As they walked hand in hand, the night air whispered secrets.
"Moonwhisper's prophecy..." Aria began.
Min-Soo's grip tightened.
"We'll uncover its truth. Together."
Their love had just begun, but darkness loomed, threatening to tear them apart.