The air smelled of rain and ancient spells.
Selene pressed her palm against the damp bark of an oak tree, the whisper of the wind carrying the echoes of old enchantments. The cursed woods surrounding Eldoria had long been forbidden to noblemen, a place where witches thrived in secrecy. Tonight, however, she was not alone.
A rustle in the underbrush.
Her fingers tightened around the wooden grip of her spell dagger. Silver moonlight spilled across the clearing, illuminating the figure of a man who had no business being in a place like this.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and cloaked in the colors of royal blood. 'Lord Aeric Ravenshade'
Selene knew him from the stolen glimpses of palace festivities she once dared to spy upon. The future ruler of Eldoria. The nobleman whose cold reputation struck fear in those who opposed him. What was he doing here, in the heart of the witches' territory?
"You're trespassing," she said, voice steady despite the quickened beat of her heart.
Aeric stepped closer, ignoring her warning. His sharp gray eyes, like the stormy seas,locked onto hers with something dangerous swirling within them.
"I could say the same about you, witch," he murmured.
His tone wasn't hostile—no, it was something else. Something far worse. 'Curiosity'
Selene had spent years mastering the art of vanishing, hiding her existence among whispered legends of witches who had long since faded. But Aeric was looking at her like she was something real. Something tangible. And she did not like it.
"The law forbids nobles from coming here," she reminded him.
"And yet, here I stand," he countered, stepping even closer. "Just as you stand in defiance of the laws that ban witches from breathing the same air as men."
Selene narrowed her eyes. What was he playing at?
Her fingers twitched. She could send him flying back with a single flick of magic. But something in the way he looked at her made her hesitate.
"Do not mistake my presence for foolishness," she said sharply. "Leave now, Lord Ravenshade, and forget you ever saw me."
He should have listened.
But he didn't.
Instead, 'he smirked'
And that was the moment Selene knew—**this man was going to ruin everything.**