A pale mist clung to the forest floor, curling around roots and vanishing into the crisp night air. The trees of Lyrinvale stood impossibly tall, their silver leaves trembling under a moonlit glow. It was said that no one who wandered this deep into the woods returned the same—if they returned at all.
Caspian, Crown Prince of Arlethia, tightened the straps of his travel-worn cloak as he stepped into the clearing. His heartbeat quickened at the sight before him: a lake as smooth as glass, its surface reflecting the stars as if the heavens had spilled onto the earth. And there, floating at its center, was the girl.
She looked otherworldly, her figure illuminated by the moonlight. Her tattered green dress shimmered faintly, blending into the still water below. Dark hair framed a face too serene for someone lost in such an untamed place. Caspian's breath caught—she was exactly as she had appeared in his dreams.
Her eyes opened suddenly, emerald-green and wide with surprise. She sat up abruptly, sending ripples across the lake, and her gaze locked on his.
Caspian froze. "It's you," he said softly, more to himself than to her.
"Who are you?" the girl demanded, her voice carrying across the stillness like the ripple she'd created. She looked at him warily, poised to flee.
"I could ask you the same," Caspian replied, lifting his hands in a gesture of peace. "But I think we both know this meeting isn't by chance."
The girl hesitated, glancing around as though searching for an escape. "You shouldn't be here," she said, her voice quieter now. "This place—it's dangerous."
Caspian took a cautious step closer to the water's edge. "I know," he said, his voice calm but steady. "But I've been searching for you. I've seen you in my dreams."
She froze at his words, her sharp gaze narrowing. "Dreams?"
"Yes." Caspian gestured to the lake. "This place, you—everything as clear as the stars above us. I thought they were just visions, but here you are. Real."
The girl's expression shifted from distrust to something softer, though no less guarded. "Dreams don't bring people to Lyrinvale," she said after a moment. "Not unless they're cursed."
Caspian raised an eyebrow. "Cursed? That's a strong word. Do I look cursed to you?"
She tilted her head, studying him with a mixture of curiosity and caution. "You're here, aren't you?"
Caspian couldn't help but smile. "Fair point. But if I'm cursed, then so are you. Why else would you be out there, in the middle of a lake that shouldn't exist?"
Her lips parted as if to respond, but no words came. Instead, she looked down at the water surrounding her, her expression tinged with sadness. "I didn't choose this," she said quietly.
The vulnerability in her voice tugged at something deep within him. Caspian took another step closer, his boots sinking into the soft earth. "Then let me help you," he said.
The girl's gaze snapped back to him, wary once more. "You can't. No one can."
"Maybe," Caspian admitted, his tone gentle. "But we won't know unless you try."
A long silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft rustling of the trees. Finally, she spoke. "Ellara," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Ellara," Caspian repeated, testing the name on his tongue. It felt like a promise.
The stars above seemed to shimmer brighter as the prince and the girl stared at one another, their meeting the first ripple in a fate neither could yet imagine.