The silent night crept on. Nature created a silence that felt soothing, designed to soothe every soul tired of struggling with life's cruelty. Then it hummed a gentle lullaby through the soft waves of the breeze, like a complement to the graceful dance of the tree leaves.Among all the creatures who enjoyed the peace of their slumber, Rowena remained awake. She paid no attention to the night rolling on and touching the wee hours of the morning, instead focusing on the various types of herbs that adorned her wooden table.Rowena picked five different herbs and chopped them into small pieces. Then she placed all the ingredients in a stone mortar. She began to pound, and it wasn't long before all the herbs were crushed and blended into one.Rowena's busyness stopped when she sensed someone's presence. She stopped pounding, then turned. "Luna."Vione stood in the doorway. Her hands were clasped nervously, her face showed uncertainty. "May I come in?" she asked, uncertain. "If I'm not intr
At that moment, a fleeting sense of relief filled Usher's mind. It seemed he had returned to the right moment, though if he could ask, he would surely want to go back even further. At least to a time before everything had become so tumultuous, before he and The Past Vione had their argument."You really have no heart, Usher."The voice of The Past Vione brought Usher back to the present just in time. Fortunately, he was able to assess the situation quickly. He remembered the incident vividly. The Past Vione had left the palace hall immediately after he had strangled her, right after she had insulted him as a heartless man.Usher quickly rose to his feet. With a lingering pain in his chest, he gripped the wall. His eyes scanned the area with growing panic. For the footsteps of The Past Vione were getting closer.Usher's priority now was to hide as best he could. He couldn't afford to be caught, neither by himself, nor by The Past Vione, nor by the inhabitants of the palace. So, he hurr
The laughter of the Past Vione vanished in an instant, replaced by another question that arose in her mind. Were those tears really tears of amusement, or just the opposite? Maybe they were tears she had been holding back until she finally had a reason to let them fall."Vione?"The past Vione stumbled over her words. "Y-yes, of course, Cora. I'm fine.""Are you sure?" Cora asked again, her voice sounding suspicious. "Because I feel differently. My intuition tells me something's wrong."The Past Vione could only remain silent."So be honest with me. Are you having problems?" There was a slight pause, as if Cora needed reassurance to continue. "Is it to do with the recent rumors? The gossip about Alpha."There was a pang in The Past Vione's heart, as if someone were squeezing it. She had suspected that the rumors about the forbidden relationship between Usher and Mireya had spread everywhere. After all, it was not unusual for them to openly flaunt their forbidden relationship in front
If he followed his heart's desire, Usher would undoubtedly emerge from his hiding place and immediately comfort The Past Vione. He would wipe away the tears that stained The Past Vione's cheeks, then kiss her eyes. He would do anything, even if he had to get down on his knees, as long as it would erase all the grief he had caused The Past Vione.But a shred of reason held Usher back. His fingers clenched the door handle as tightly as his eyes were shut. He reproached himself as he realized how powerless he was in the current situation. Waves of regret washed over him, engulfing Usher once again in the unspeakable void of words. He was like a prisoner trapped in a labyrinth of complex emotions, caught between the desire to change the past immediately and the awareness of a reality that might be unavoidable. His soul rebelled, his heart ached, but he continued to try to resist the emotional urges that overcame him.Usher knew he could not act rashly. While he desperately wanted to erase
Hilary remained silent, as did Addy. Both were silent when not a word came out of The Past Vione's lips, only tears. They exchanged glances, signaling each other, and then Hilary allowed The Past Vione to continue embracing her.Time passed oppressively for The Past Vione. Sadness had overwhelmed her heart, but her tongue couldn't move, unable if she had to tell Hilary and Addy everything.The Past Vione knew that Hilary and Addy were the happiest when she became a Luna. They were the ones most grateful because they realized that no other man could promise her happiness and security but Usher. However, it seemed that they had been misplacing their hopes all along.Disappointment arose and finally made the Past Vione choose to remain silent. Thus, silence replaced words between them, creating an increasingly heavy silence.The Past Vione tightened her embrace around Hilary. She tried to find some peace in Hilary's warm embrace. Her body seemed to be enveloped in peace, which strangely
The Past Vione's sadness grew when she realized that Garth hadn't stopped the car on the way to the palace for no reason. Instead, as a Beta who cared deeply for the Alpha and Luna, Garth wanted to ensure their well-being.Unfortunately, it wasn't Garth's, Hilary's or Addy's attention that The Past Vione wanted now. It was the attention of The Past Usher that she craved. So, her heart sighed. Was it too much to ask for attention from no one but you, Usher?It was truly discouraging, and The Past Vione refused to humiliate herself in front of Garth. So, she did her best to keep a composed expression on her face. She forced a smile on her face and nodded. "Of course, Garth. I'm fine.”But Garth wasn't oblivious. It wasn't easy to fool him. Besides, it wasn't difficult for him to detect a hint of sadness in The Past Vione's eyes. The Past Vione could smile, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.“I'm relieved to hear that, Luna,” Garth said wisely. He decided not to ask further. But that d
The return of The Past Vione didn't escape Usher's scrutiny. He vividly remembered the events of the past and decided not to miss the opportunity.Usher realized that The Past Vione would be very sad that night, to the point of doubting their love. So, he didn't want to take any chances. He had to meet The Past Vione and make sure that their relationship was okay.Usher reached into his pocket and briefly looked at the half-moon pendant necklace. Then he clasped it firmly before putting it back in his pocket.Usher waited a moment while he carefully watched the footage from the surveillance cameras scattered throughout the palace. His focus was on the large monitor, then shifted to the smaller screens showing different angles, never losing sight of The Past Vione for a moment.His body tensed as he saw The Past Vione leaving the office, sobbing. She seemed so tormented and sad. She was in such pain that guilt tore at Usher's heart.Usher felt unable to watch the surveillance footage a
Silence surrounded them, only the slow and steady rhythm of breaths could be heard. They came from The Past Vione, who slept peacefully in Usher's embrace. Her beautiful face looked tired, but also happy. Unfortunately, this only further confused Usher's feelings and a wave of guilt washed over him.Usher held his breath, trying to hold back the flood of emotions that was consuming him, but it was extremely difficult. Every time he looked at the serene face of The Past Vione, the guilt pressed down harder. His heart thundered with feelings that were difficult to express. He felt truly terrible to realize that Vione, the woman he loved most, was at his side without knowing anything about what was going on between them.Moments later, a warmth rose in the corner of Usher's eyes. Tears threatened to break out and he fought hard not to cry. But memories of the past unexpectedly flooded his mind. He remembered the promises he had made. Promises to always protect Vione and make her happy. U