Their First Meeting Deep within the ancient forests surrounding the Kingdom of Noctis, where even the wind seemed afraid to disturb the silence, Cassian Valerius walked alone beneath the silver glow of the moon. The Eclipse inside him had grown restless again, its darkness slowly consuming his thoughts. For years, he had endured the pain in silence, believing that the Keeper destined to save him was nothing more than an old legend. Until he heard a soft voice. Not the terrifying whisper of the Eclipse… but a gentle voice singing an unfamiliar melody among the trees. Following it, Cassian found a young witch standing beside a forgotten lake, surrounded by glowing flowers and ancient runes. Lillian Veyrath had wandered into the forest after feeling a strange pull she could not explain, as if something was calling her there. When their eyes met, the world seemed to stop. The Eclipse that had always raged within Cassian became completely still for the first time in thirteen years. He looked at her with disbelief, unable to understand why the darkness inside him recognized her before he did. Neither of them knew who the other truly was. A cursed king who had lost hope… And a witch who carried the power to save him. But beneath the quiet trees of the ancient forest, fate had finally brought them together.