The night ascended over the Dragon's Spine on the west, gradually devouring the sun's last rays of light. The twinkling stars clustered around the twin moons, bringing forth the brightness that belonged to the night. The blue moon, Heart of Gruu, and the red moon, Eye of Daman, each hung in their respective halves of the night sky, quietly emanating their ethereal glow.
During the first half of the year, from Blue-First Month to Blue-Ninth Month, the red moon remained in its weaker crescent phase, while the blue moon dominated the firmament. This pattern would persist until the last day of Blue-Ninth Month—after the Mid-Year Ceremony on the Night of the Purple Moon. Then the twin moons would alternate, heralding the beginning of Red-First Month.
The elves' faith strongly favored the blue moon, thus the tenth night of Blue-Fifth Month, when the Heart of Gruu shone brightest and fullest, was designated as the crucial moment for 25-year-old elves to complete their coming-of-age ceremony.
However, like many fading traditions, few elves still observe this custom today. Beyond the protection of Raniel, the Dream Angel, too many aspects of their culture have been diluted by modern lifestyles.
Klein and Fay didn't have a particularly deep understanding of elven traditions; most of their knowledge came from Fui's father's ramblings, which he used to fill their bedtime hours when he ran out of stories during their childhood. But the details of the coming-of-age ceremony remained vivid and clear in their memories.
A temporary platform had been fashioned from thick, sturdy planks at the treetop crown—the closest spot to the sky they could find. Raising their arms toward the heavens, their curled fingers seemed to grasp the azure full moon.
Bathing in this moonlight, much of their fatigue from long hours of training instantly melted away. As for the remaining weariness, it could be fully compensated by those extra copper coins they'd acquired.
Klein didn't go into too much detail about the incident, not wanting to cause kind-hearted Fay unnecessary worry about that careless party. He simply said the copper coins were dropped by some unknown adventurers. Just as he predicted, Fay was overjoyed and rewarded him with a shy kiss.
For tonight's important ceremony, Fay made an unusual gesture of generosity by retrieving her brewed fruit wine from the cupboard, sharing nearly half a barrel with Klein. Even now, her cheeks remained flushed, and her eyes were glazed over with a misty sheen, lending her an alluring, dreamy appearance.
The coming-of-age blessing required the protective light to shine upon as much of their bodies as possible. Thus, after climbing onto the platform, they removed all their coverings, presenting themselves in their most natural state before their faith. Klein couldn't quite tell whether the enchanting blush on Fay's face was from drinking too much wine or from reaching the peak of bashfulness.
In truth, Fay felt equally shy. It was her first time seeing Klein's matured form in such bright light. Curiosity and shyness wrestled fiercely in her pounding heart—when curiosity prevailed, she would steal quick glances; when shyness surged back, she would turn away to gaze at the deep, boundless night sky.
Klein, resting his head on both arms, mused with puzzlement: "Since childhood, I've always felt the coming-of-age ceremony was important to me. Growing up, I thought I considered it important because I could find happiness with you, Fay. Could it be that even back then, I was thinking about doing such things with you after the ceremony?"
This wasn't the first time such uncertainty had crept into Klein's mind. He vaguely remembered that even before his foster father had explained the details of the coming-of-age ceremony, he had been preoccupied with thoughts of some crucial ritual, as if his life could only be considered complete after that moment.
He could no longer recall his earliest feelings about it. In his later memories, the coming-of-age ceremony had become completely intertwined with images of Fay.
Perhaps... had he forgotten something important? He turned his head uneasily, the tips of his ears twitching twice.
Fay burst into giggles, brushing her long hair to the other side. She rested her chin on Klein's chest and playfully traced her fingers across his taut stomach. "Back then, your... that thing down there wasn't even as big as my thumb. How could you have been thinking about such things, you silly.
Their intimate posture helped them relax somewhat. Klein lifted his slightly stiff arm to gently caress Fay's back, while she, with half-closed eyes, softly recounted amusing stories from their childhood.
The blue moonlight grew increasingly gentle as time flowed on. Enveloped in its glow, they finally relaxed completely, nestling close together with slightly upturned lips, waiting for the moment when the Heart of Gruu would reach its zenith.
When the mist-draped forest fell into complete silence, at the center of the deep night sky, the brilliant blue moon and the barely visible sliver of the red moon's crescent moved into remarkably close proximity. The blue moonlight intensified to its peak—looking out from the treetop crown, every motionless leaf reflected its crystal-clear radiance.
In this moment, the faint phosphorescence of the Mistlamp Trees all but vanished in comparison.
The pinnacle of the Blue Moon Night had begun.