Night fell softly over Orahm, veiling its glass towers in quiet reflection. The stars above shimmered here than anywhere else in the world, refracted by the crystalline domes that now pulsed faintly with mana-light. Deep within the Heartspire's sanctum, a narrow passage opened behind the primary chamber, revealed only after the ritual's completion.
Alexandra had led Shin and the others into this hidden corridor, saying little. Her steps were steady, but her expression bore the weight of something long-delayed. The others followed without question, save for Laverna, who walked behind them all, one hand resting on her tiger eye necklace, the other near her heart.
The corridor ended in a chamber far older than any they had seen. Moonlight poured in from above through a carved crystal dome, illuminating a pool set at its center. Mirror fragments floated on the water like silver petals. The air smelled of night-blooming flowers and ancient incense.
Alexandra stepped to the pool's edge, her veil now removed. The full glow of the moon danced along her braided hair, her expression serene yet vulnerable.
"This is the Pool of Resonance," she said softly. "Here, the final vow must be given. The Servant Crest awakened through ritual is incomplete until spoken in truth—given voice, given name."
Tessara stepped forward, whispering reverently. "The ancient rite of the Moonflower Bond."
Alexandra nodded. "For those whose voices bear weight… the bond must flow through language itself. A kiss seals the vow. The Old Tongue ensures it echoes across every realm."
Zera crossed her arms. "You're offering more than loyalty. This is servitude of the soul."
"I do not surrender lightly," Alexandra replied. "But I do so willingly. My throne fell with pride. Let my next rise begin in humility."
She stepped into the pool. The water rose to her hips. She turned, lifting her gaze to Shin.
"Will you accept my vow?"
Shin walked forward, removing his outer cloak, and stepped into the pool opposite her. The moment his feet touched the water, the mirror petals began to spin.
"I do," he said. "If freely given, I accept it."
They met in the center. The pool shimmered with foxfire and moonlight. Alexandra raised both hands and touched Shin's cheeks. Her fingers trembled slightly.
In the Old Tongue, she spoke:
"Let my voice carry the absolute truth. Let my mouth never lie against you. Let my tongue sing only in your name, and through your breath, may Orahm remember peace."
Shin exhaled, the orb pulsing between them.
Alexandra leaned in and kissed him.
It was not rushed, nor hungry. It was reverent. A ritual shared across generations. Their lips met and held, soft and sure. The mirror petals danced wildly. Light pulsed between them.
A mark blazed to life on Alexandra's tongue—a sigil formed of radiant script. She leaned into the kiss with unrestrained devotion, her fingers curling into Shin's robe as though anchoring herself to something she'd searched for her entire life. The sensation was overwhelming—a searing rush of warmth that spread from her lips to the tips of her fingers, then down her spine. Her gasp, soft and trembling, escaped into his mouth. She didn't pull away—not yet. In that moment, she drank from the heat she'd longed for, letting it imprint not only on her tongue but in her soul, making her devotion whole.
When they parted, her lips were parted in awe. "I can feel your will in every breath I take," she whispered.
Shin steadied her, arms supporting her waist.
From the shadows, Laverna watched. She did not interrupt. She did not step away.
Her heart panged. Not in jealousy, but in awe. Alexandra had not taken from Shin.
She had given herself to him.
With dignity. With reverence. With soul laid bare.
Tessara stepped beside her. "The rite is done. The Crest sings true."
Zera and Maika stood silent. No mockery, no judgment.
Just respect.
Later, alone on a moonlit balcony, Laverna stood watching the pool ripple.
Shin joined her quietly.
"I saw you watching," he said.
Laverna nodded. "She surrendered everything. Not to claim you. Not to claim power. Just to serve."
Shin took her hand. "You've given more. Not through rituals… but in choosing to stay, every time."
She looked down. "Sometimes I fear… losing my place."
He turned her gently to face him. "You are not replaceable. You are my first vow. My anchor."
Tears glimmered at her lashes. She kissed his hand, fiercely—then without waiting, she stepped into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pressed her forehead to his, breath trembling.
"I'll keep walking, Shin," she whispered. "But sometimes… I fear they'll take you away from me."
He said nothing at first. Instead, he cupped her face, his thumbs brushing the tears from her cheeks, and kissed her.
Not soft.
Not tentative.
His mouth claimed hers, answering her doubt with unyielding certainty. The kiss was hot and urgent, tasting of tears and truth. It was wet and messy, lips parting, breaths colliding. Laverna gasped into it, then sobbed, her body curling into his chest as the flood broke.
He held her tighter, kissed her deeper.
She kissed back with everything she had—desperately, needfully. Her legs trembled, but she didn't care if the others saw. This was her truth. Her vow. Her place.
When they finally parted, her lips were swollen, wet with shared longing. She hiccupped a breath, tears streaking down her face, and smiled.
"That was longer than I expected," she whispered.
"It wasn't long enough," he replied, brushing her damp cheek with the back of his hand.
Behind them, the Heartspire pulsed. And beneath the pool's surface, the Crest of Alexandra shimmered—etched not just in magic, but now surrounded by the glow of something just as powerful: love laid bare and fully returned.
A cough broke the silence.
"Well," Maika said with a smirk, arms crossed, "I was going to ask if you two needed a room, but I suppose the stars were generous enough."
Zera raised an eyebrow, lips twitching. "You could have warned us, Shin. We might've turned around before things got... soggy."
Tessara tilted her head, expression unreadable behind her mask. "The moon bore witness. She approves."
Laverna blushed, but held Shin's gaze. "I don't care if they saw. I needed to know. I needed to feel it."
Alexandra, who had quietly observed from the edge of the chamber, stepped forward, her voice calm and warm. "None of us questions your place, Laverna. He is the Light-Born. But to each of us, he is more than a flame. We are not rivals. We are sisters in purpose."
Laverna blinked, her breath catching.
Maika nodded, stepping beside her. "You were the first. Don't ever doubt that. But even if one of us is in his arms, we're all there in spirit."
Zera shrugged. "You think I'd follow a man who plays favorites? No. We share him. Proudly. Fiercely. Willingly."
Tessara placed a gentle hand on Laverna's shoulder. "The bond is a chorus, not a duel. You do not lose by loving. You rise."
Laverna exhaled, her tears finally drying. She looked at each of them, and instead of the fear of losing, she saw what she had: sisters, not competitors.
And in Shin's arms, she finally felt not just chosen, but secure.