CHAPTER 2

The conversation began innocently.

At first, Caveen remained reserved, answering Lysandra's questions with brief replies. He had come to the bar to escape the exhaustion of his twelve-hour shift, not to socialize.

Yet somehow, she made it easy for him to talk.

"You work at the hospital?" Lysandra asked.

"Arvanis General. I'm a surgeon."

"Twelve-hour shift?"

"Something like that." Caveen gave a tired laugh. "I just wanted a drink and some peace."

Lysandra smiled. "And now?"

He glanced at her.

"Now I'm not sure I want the night to end."

Her smile deepened.

They continued talking.

They spoke about the city, their childhoods, travel, food, and the strange things people did when they thought no one was watching. Caveen found himself laughing more than he had in weeks.

The tension in his shoulders gradually disappeared.

He didn't understand why he felt so comfortable with her.

He simply did.

What Caveen didn't notice was the faint shimmer of magic gathering beneath Lysandra's fingertips.

She had been waiting for the right moment.

With a subtle movement, she released the spell.

It drifted toward Caveen like an invisible mist, sinking quietly into his aura.

A love spell.

It wouldn't control his actions or completely alter his mind. Instead, it would magnify the attraction and affection already beginning to form between them, making him believe the emotions were entirely his own.

And the enchantment would last only for one night.

Caveen blinked slowly.

For a moment, the world seemed strangely quiet.

Then his eyes returned to Lysandra.

There was warmth in them now.

Something deeper.

"Lys," he said softly.

"Yes?"

"I'm glad you came here tonight."

She smiled.

"So am I."

He reached across the table and gently took her hand.

Neither of them spoke for several seconds.

The attraction between them had become undeniable.

Leaving the Bar

Hours later, the bar had nearly emptied.

Caveen glanced at the clock.

"It's late."

"It is."

He hesitated before looking at Lysandra.

"Would you like to go somewhere quieter?"

Lysandra knew exactly what he was asking.

She nodded.

"Yes."

They left the bar together and disappeared into the quiet streets of Arvanis.

Caveen walked beside her, completely unaware that magic had already settled around his heart.

The man who had entered the bar wanting nothing more than a peaceful drink was now captivated by the mysterious woman beside him.

For one night, he would believe that she was exactly what he had been looking for.

The Following Morning

Soft morning light filtered through the curtains.

Caveen slept peacefully, unaware of the changes that were about to take place.

Lysandra stood beside the bed.

Her expression was calm, but there was something almost regretful in her eyes.

Her purpose had been fulfilled.

She wanted a child.

And now, she believed she had found the perfect father.

But he could never remember her.

Lysandra raised her hand.

Silver magic gathered around her fingers.

The spell moved through Caveen's mind.

First, it erased the moment they met.

Then their conversations.

Their walk through the city.

What happen last night.

Everything they had shared that night slowly disappeared.

She carefully replaced those memories with something ordinary.

Caveen had gone to the bar after work.

He had drunk too much.

After that, he remembered nothing.

No mysterious woman.

No encounter.

No reason to search for Lysandra.

Lysandra then erased every magical trace of herself from the room.

When she finished, the room looked as though she had never been there.

She looked at Caveen one last time.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"He will never remember me."

A portal opened beside the window.

Beyond it waited the Elite World, hidden from human eyes and ruled by ancient supernatural bloodlines.

Lysandra stepped toward it.

For one brief moment, she looked back at the sleeping man.

There was no turning back now.

She stepped through the portal.

The gateway vanished.

And Lysandra Moonwell disappeared from the human realm, taking with her the secret of the night they had shared.

Caveen remained asleep.

When he finally woke, he would remember only a pounding headache, the taste of whiskey, and the vague certainty that he had gotten far too drunk the night before.

He would have no memory of Lysandra.

No memory of their connection.

And no idea that somewhere beyond the human realm, a child carrying his blood had already begun to grow.

Caveen’s POV — The Morning After

My head was pounding.

I groaned and slowly opened my eyes.

For several seconds, I simply stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above me.

Where the hell was I?

I pushed myself upright, immediately regretting it when a wave of dizziness hit me.

"God..."

I pressed my fingers against my temples.

Whiskey.

That was the first thing I remembered.

The bar.

I had gone to the bar after my shift because I wanted to relax. I remembered sitting in the corner, drinking alone.

After that...

Nothing.

I looked around the room.

A hotel.

My brows furrowed.

"How did I get here?"

I searched my memory again, but there was only a frustrating blank space.

I remembered the warm lights of the bar.

The music.

My glass of whiskey.

Then nothing.

I climbed out of bed and checked myself.

My clothes were scattered nearby, but there was nothing unusual.

No injuries.

No signs of a fight.

Nothing that explained why I had ended up in a hotel.

I grabbed my phone from the bedside table.

Several missed calls from the hospital.

I sighed.

Of course.

Even when I wasn't working, the hospital somehow found a way to remind me that I had responsibilities.

I stood and walked toward the bathroom.

As I passed the mirror, I stopped.

My reflection looked terrible.

Dark circles beneath my eyes.

Messy hair.

A face that clearly regretted every drink from the previous night.

"Never drinking whiskey again."

I splashed cold water onto my face.

Then something strange happened.

For the briefest moment, I caught the scent of lilacs.

I froze.

I looked around.

Nothing.

The scent disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"Lilacs?"

I frowned.

Why did that feel familiar?

I closed my eyes, trying to remember.

A woman's voice.

Soft laughter.

Silver hair.

Lavender eyes.

The images flashed through my mind like fragments of a dream.

Then—

Nothing.

I opened my eyes.

"What the hell?"

I shook my head.

Probably the alcohol.

I returned to the bedroom and gathered my things.

My bracelet caught my attention.

The enchanted bracelet was still around my wrist, glowing faintly beneath the morning light.

I touched it absently.

For some reason, I felt uneasy.

As though I had forgotten something important.

Something—or someone.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember.

I checked out of the hotel and stepped into the morning streets.

The city was already awake.

Cars moved through the roads. People hurried toward work. Vendors opened their shops.

Everything looked completely normal.

Yet I couldn't shake the strange feeling in my chest.

I stopped beside the sidewalk and looked back at the hotel.

Why did I feel like I had left something behind?

I had no answer.

So I shoved my hands into my pockets and started walking.

I had a hospital shift waiting for me.

Whatever happened last night, I'd figure it out eventually.

Or maybe there was nothing to figure out.

Maybe I had simply gotten too drunk.

That had to be it.

Still...

As I walked away, I couldn't explain why a single thought kept haunting me.

I felt like I had met someone.

Someone I couldn't remember.

And somewhere deep inside me, something whispered that I would see her again.