The sun was slowly setting, its golden light filtering through the windows of the boutique. The cold marble floor and the shimmering fabric displays created an almost magical atmosphere, like another world where worries seemed distant. Rena stood there, her eyes lost in the reflection of a mirror, her thoughts far from the elegant shop and the dress she had just tried on. Madison, her long-time friend, was rummaging through the shelves, overflowing with excitement at the thought of finding the perfect dress for her best friend.
But Rena couldn't focus on this simple task. Her thoughts kept spiraling around the same thing: the approaching full moon. That night, everything would be different. It marked the anniversary of the tragic disappearance of her parents. On a full moon night, they had gone to an important meeting, as doctors. They never came back. The accident was strange, unexplained. No witnesses, no answers, just the silence that followed. But the older Rena got, the more she felt that that night wasn't just an accident. Something much bigger was hidden behind it, something... magical.
She looked down at the dress she was wearing, a delicate garment in deep blue, which contrasted sharply with the uncertainty that haunted her. She had always loved science, always dreamed of becoming a doctor, maybe a surgeon, just like her parents. Her grades were perfect, and all her teachers agreed she had a promising future. But the older she got, the more the shadow of her missing parents seemed to follow her, making her uncertain about what she truly wanted. Was it the only path that attracted her, or was something bigger waiting for her beyond all of this?
A hand on her shoulder abruptly pulled her out of her thoughts. Madison, her eyes sparkling with excitement, held out a dress as if she had just discovered a hidden treasure.
— **Look at this, Rena!** she said in a voice full of joy. **This is THE dress. You absolutely have to try it on.**
Rena turned her head and saw the dress. It was a piece of unparalleled beauty. A satin fabric in deep purple, light and fluid, that seemed to capture the light with every movement. The dress had incredible details: silver embroidery that shaped like constellations, a cut that flattered the silhouette perfectly. Rena hesitated, but seeing the sincerity in her friend's eyes, she agreed.
She headed to the fitting room and slipped into the dress. When she looked at herself in the mirror, a shiver ran down her spine. The dress hugged her curves perfectly, highlighting her figure without being too revealing. It was as if the dress had been made just for her. A mysterious glow seemed to emanate from it. She felt... different, as if this dress brought her to a version of herself she had never met.
When she stepped out of the fitting room, Madison's mouth was wide open, followed by a small breath of admiration. The shopkeeper, an elegant woman with a discreet smile, stood there in stunned silence. There was something magnetic about how the dress seemed to connect her body with the atmosphere of the shop.
— **Oh my God, Rena, you look amazing!** Madison exclaimed, bouncing with excitement. **This is THE dress, for sure!**
The shopkeeper's eyes were also wide with admiration.
— **You look absolutely stunning. This dress was made for you.**
Rena turned slowly toward the mirror, her fingers gently brushing the soft fabric of the dress. She didn't recognize herself. It wasn't just the dress; it was the reflection of someone she had always ignored within herself. Her curves, her bust, were gently accentuated, but nothing was vulgar. Everything was elegant, graceful. The dress revealed her back, and that's when she noticed the tattoo she had had for years. A delicate crescent moon traced on her left shoulder, surrounded by seven stars that shimmered slightly under the mirror's light.
Madison approached, her eyes wide with curiosity.
— **Rena... what's that tattoo?** she asked, gently touching the fabric around the crescent moon. **I've never seen it before...**
Rena lowered her eyes, a slight unease crossing her face. She had always hidden this tattoo, even from her closest friends. It was a memory of her parents, a mysterious legacy she wasn't ready to explain. But today, she wasn't ready to reveal everything.
— **It's nothing,** she replied in a softer voice, looking away. **Just a small memory...**
Madison didn't push further, but the worried look in her eyes said it all. However, she said nothing more. She smiled and circled around Rena, admiring the dress one last time.
— **It's so beautiful,** she murmured, enchanted. **You're ready for tonight.**
Rena, still staring at the mirror, felt torn. Something deep inside her was growing, a hidden strength she couldn't yet understand. But tonight, the full moon would reveal much more than she could imagine.