Chapter 5: Secrets Of The Heart

As the rain continued to pour down heavily, Everly thought back to the dreadful night in the past and to the one moment when she met the unexpected event that led to her current situation.

Before he closed his eyes for the final time, he smiled and said, "Everly, my love... Don't cry for me. Always remember that I love you, now and forever. If there's a next life, I will still love it. Goodbye, my love."

Soon he slipped away into his endless sleep, surrounded by the darkness of the trees and the cries of his beloved Everly. Deep aches cascaded in her heart as she watched him die in her arms. She tried waking him up again but he wasn't opening his eyes.

The pain of losing someone felt like pins creeping along with her every being. A great sob escaped her lips as she hugged his cold body tightly. "Why?! Why did you do that?! After all the lies you told me, will you just leave me alone?! Reyl! Why?!"

She wailed and cried out. Hoping the pain in her heart would fade. She regretted it. She regretted everything. She regretted doubting his love for her.

"Wake up! Please! Don't leave me alone! I'm sorry I ever doubted you! I'm sorry! So, please come back to me! Come back, my love! Please!"

Her sounds of cries resounded in the whole forest. As the stars in the night sky are nowhere to be found, a faint glowing full moon slowly lost its brilliance.

Dark clouds slowly covered the moon and not a moment later, the sound of thunder echoed in the sky. Loud cracks of thunder permeated the frigid air. A heavy downpour of rain started to fall and the cold wind started to sway the trees violently.

Everly looked up at the raging storm surrounding the sky, letting the rain soak her to the bone within seconds. Rain drummed the ground like a hundred marching soldiers. Loud and stiff. Her dress was drenched in cold and her body felt the freezing cold. But she ignored it.

The physical cold is nothing compared to the growing coldness in her heart. As she stood up slowly, flashes of thunder resonated once again. It's like heaven is having an intense war fight in the sky.

Everly stood up with her knees slightly trembling. Her hair is in complete disarray and her clothes are drenched with mud. At that moment, she didn't look like the princess of a kingdom. Her vision is starting to blur due to the constant downpour of the rain.

She looked for the last time at the man lying on the ground and, slowly, a sad smile formed on her pale lips. "My love, don't worry. You won't be alone for too long. Wait for me. I promise you, we will travel to the afterlife together. I won't let you be alone."

Everly took off the coat and placed it on him. Covering him from the rain. Then, with her unhurried steps, she walked and walked in the dense forest. In this quiet forest, it's only the heavy rain and the lightning in the sky that is heard.

A moment later, Everly reached her destination. Deep in the forest, there is a high cliff. Looking down below, nothing could be seen. No one had ever known how high this cliff was and many of the people who tried to reach the bottom of it had never returned.

Everly knows this place very well. She had visited this place a couple of times but never attempted to go down. But it has always been her dream to know the place below this cliff and now she's fulfilling it.

Although she might not be able to see it still before she died. One last glance at the sky and she finally jumped on the cliff. Her body fell slowly down below with her eyes closed.

A relieved smile showed on her face as she held the necklace in her hands tightly. 'Finally, we will meet again, my love.'

Everything froze in an instant. The rain stopped pouring. The lightning stopped raging. Everything stopped suddenly. A white light suddenly showed brightening the dark place. When Everly slowly opened her eyes, her gaze stopped at the necklace in her hand.

The red heart-shaped pendant changed into clear white as it brightened and glowed. Her breath caught as she stared at it with her eyes widening. Not a moment later, she noticed herself floating. 'What's happening? I didn't fall?' Her body continued to float in the dark abyss.

She was caught off-guard by what was happening. As she looked around, the sky above cleared and the full moon showed its brilliance. A white figure suddenly walked out of the moon and slowly flew towards her.

She stood still as she looked intently at the woman in white approaching.  Her body tensed up when the figure was already standing right in front of her. "Who- Who are you-you?" Her voice stuttered in shock and confusion.

The woman smiled. Her eyes glowed like stars. Her white dress gently swayed in the air. "Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you."

She was paralyzed on the spot. She took a step backward, afraid of the mysterious person who appeared in front of her. Her small voice showed a great feat of fear. "What do you want from me? Who are you?"

"I'm the protector of that necklace you are holding. The moon goddess." Her silvery voice rang. Her smile never left her face as she looked at the disheveled and frightened princess in front of her.

"I think the proper question here is what do you want? Not what I want. Now, tell me, princess of Amsterdam, what is it that your heart's desire?" Everly's widened in surprise when the moon goddess mentioned her name.

"You-You know me? How-" She didn't know how to continue. Her words stuttered on her lips as she tried to digest everything.

"I know everything, Princess Everly. Everything that happened, I know everything. Including the forbidden love that both you and the young king of Heathern have."

"What do you mean by that?" She was on her guard, holding the necklace tightly in her hands. "You knew King Dominique?" She bravely asked into her eyes.

" Of course, my dear. That necklace is passed down to every king of Heathern. The fact that King Dominique gave you this necklace shows how deep his love is for you. Every king of Heathern knows the secret of the necklace but no one succeeded in summoning me, the moon the goddess. King Dominique is the first one."

Everly glanced at the glowing necklace in her hands. Confusion danced around her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I can only be summoned if there's an act of true love. The person who can summon me will be granted a wish. Every wish, be it power, wealth, anything, I can grant anything as long as you say it."

"True love?"

"Yes. King Dominique sacrificing his life to save you is an act of true love. And since he is already gone, the holder of it can have the wish. Now tell me, princess, what's your wish?"

Hope started to rise up. A look of longing flashed in her eyes as she remembered the dead body of her beloved. With a determined gaze, she looked at the moon goddess. "Can you bring him back to life?"

"That is not possible, princess Everly. I can grant you anything except for bringing a person back to life. I'm sorry."

Desperation is all that's left in her. The hope that was starting to build crashed in an instant. "You told me you could grant me anything? You will grant me what my heart desires! Him being alive is all that I want! I don't care about power or wealth! Or anything! I just want him to be here by my side! Is it too much to ask?"

She covered her face with her shaking hands as tears poured down. "All I want is him. I don't need anything else. For the first time since my grandfather died, I felt happiness. I don't want to lose that happiness. Please, bring him back to me."

The moon goddess looked at her with a complicated expression. The princess' only desire is him and the moon goddess can clearly see it. After a moment of contemplation, she spoke.

"There's another way but this will be risky for you since it might cost you your life. Are you willing to gamble for it?"

She looked hopeful. "What is it? Just tell me what it is and I will gladly take it!"

The moon goddess sighed exhaustedly and responded, "I can't bring him back to life but he will be reincarnated. In a different place, at a different time, you should find the reincarnation of King Dominique and prove your love once again before the red moon appears. Remember, he must fall in love with you and your mission will succeed."

That's what happened that leads Everly to the present. Thousands of years had passed since she'd been looking for him but not even a shadow appeared in her sight. Her time is almost up. The red moon will appear soon.

The last reminder from the moon goddess was deeply engraved in her heart before she was sent to this place.

'Remember princess, before the red moon appears, you must complete the task. Or else, you will vanish from existence. You must remember that.'