As the sun climbed higher, casting a golden hue over the forest, Ravenna and Damien sat beneath a large oak tree. They had spent the better part of the morning sparring, and exhaustion now tugged at their limbs. Ravenna leaned back against the rough bark, her eyes drifting to the canopy above.
"Do you ever miss it?" she asked suddenly, her voice breaking the comfortable silence.
Damien glanced at her, his brows furrowing. "Miss what?"
"Your home. Your family." She hesitated, unsure if she was prying too much. "Or… whatever life you had before all of this."
Damien's expression darkened slightly, his gaze shifting to the horizon. For a moment, he said nothing, and Ravenna worried she had crossed a line.
But then he sighed, the sound heavy with unspoken emotions. "I don't know if I'd call it a home. It was more of a cage."
She turned to face him fully, her curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?"
"I wasn't free, Ravenna," he said quietly, his voice laced with bitterness. "Being born into the vampire royal family comes with chains of its own. Expectations, duties, alliances—you don't get to live for yourself. Everything you do is for the crown, for the bloodline."
Ravenna's heart ached at the vulnerability in his tone. She had never imagined the confident, powerful Damien carrying such a burden.
"But you escaped," she said softly. "You chose freedom."
He nodded, his jaw tightening. "I did. But leaving came at a price. They don't forgive betrayal, and I've been hunted ever since."
She reached out, her fingers brushing against his arm. "I'm sorry, Damien. I didn't know."
He looked at her then, his crimson eyes searching hers. "What about you? Do you miss your family?"
Ravenna's smile faltered, and she pulled her hand back, wrapping her arms around her knees. "I don't have much of a family to miss. My parents died when I was young, and the woman who raised me… well, let's just say she was not exactly kind."
Damien's gaze softened, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence was heavy but not uncomfortable, filled with a mutual understanding of loss and longing.
After a while, Ravenna broke the silence with a chuckle. "Wow, we're really good at depressing conversations, aren't we?"
Damien smirked, the corner of his mouth quirking upward. "Maybe we should try something lighter."
She tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Like what?"
He stood, brushing off his pants and extending a hand to her. "Come on. I have an idea."
Curious, she took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see," he said cryptically, leading her through the forest.
They walked for a while, the sound of their footsteps blending with the chirping of birds and the rustle of leaves. Eventually, they arrived at a small clearing by a stream. The water sparkled in the sunlight, and wildflowers dotted the banks.
"It's beautiful," Ravenna said, her voice filled with awe.
Damien grinned, picking up a smooth, flat stone from the ground. "Watch this."
With a flick of his wrist, he sent the stone skipping across the water, each bounce leaving ripples in its wake.
Ravenna clapped her hands, laughing. "Show-off."
"Your turn," he said, handing her another stone.
She eyed the stone skeptically, then mimicked his technique. The stone plopped into the water with a loud splash, and she groaned.
"Not quite," Damien said, chuckling. "Here, let me show you."
He stepped behind her, his hands guiding hers. His touch was warm and steady, and Ravenna found her heart racing for reasons that had nothing to do with the stone in her hand.
"Like this," he murmured, his breath brushing against her ear.
She swallowed hard, focusing on his instructions. When she threw the stone this time, it skipped twice before sinking.
"I did it!" she exclaimed, turning to face him.
"You did," he said, his smile genuine.
For a moment, they stood there, the world around them fading. The sunlight danced in his crimson eyes, and Ravenna felt a pull she couldn't explain.
"Damien," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Yes?"
Before she could lose her nerve, she closed the distance between them, her lips brushing against his.
The kiss was soft at first, hesitant, as though testing uncharted waters. But then Damien's arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer, and the world seemed to tilt.
When they finally broke apart, Ravenna's cheeks were flushed, and Damien's gaze was intense.
"I—" she started, but he silenced her with a finger to her lips.
"Don't apologize," he said softly. "I've wanted to do that for a while now."
Her heart soared at his words, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she felt truly at peace.
They spent the rest of the afternoon by the stream, talking, laughing, and sharing pieces of themselves they hadn't before. And though the challenges ahead loomed large, for now, they allowed themselves this moment of joy.