The Villa was unnaturally quite.
Not the peaceful kind of silence—but the heavy one, the kind that presses against your chest and makes every breath feel louder than it should. Moonlight slipped through the tall windows, painting pale silver shadows across the stone floor. Somewhere far away, the forest whispered, as if even the trees were listening.
Xavier stood in front of Prizey, his shoulders tense, his eyes filled with a lifetime of unshed pain.
"That was the last time…" he said quietly, his voice barely holding together, "the last time I saw my Master."
He paused, as if saying more might break him.
"And after that… I lost him."
Prizey watched his face carefully. This wasn't the confident Simon she had known. This was a man stripped of masks—raw, exposed, bleeding from the inside.
"You know," Xavier continued, his gaze drifting toward the window, "he wasn't just my teacher. He wasn't just someone who raised me."
His lips curved into a sad smile.
"He became my entire family."
The words hit Prizey harder than she expected. She felt something ache inside her chest—something familiar. Loss recognized loss.
"At every step I took," he said, pressing a hand to his heart, "I remembered him. Every time I fell, every time I stood back up… his voice was there."
Xavier finally looked at her.
"And then… I saw you."
His breath caught.
"The first time I saw you, something changed inside me. For the first time in centuries, I felt hope."
A fragile, trembling hope.
"The kind of hope that gives life to the dead."
Prizey's throat tightened. She hadn't realized when her fists had clenched at her sides.
"I started falling for you without realizing it," he admitted softly. "Slowly… then all at once."
His voice grew heavier.
"I've already lost my family once, Prizey. I couldn't survive losing you too."
He stepped closer, desperation flickering in his eyes.
"I am not a betrayer," he said firmly, almost pleading. "I lied because I was afraid. Afraid that if you knew the truth… you would leave."
A tear slipped down his cheek.
"That fear… it made me hide everything."
The words poured out of him now, like a dam breaking. He didn't stop, didn't even breathe properly—as if silence might swallow him whole.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."
His voice broke completely.
"But I love you, Prizey. I truly do. More than I ever thought I was capable of."
That was when Prizey moved.
Before he could crumble any further, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly, pressing her forehead against his chest.
"Stop," she whispered shakily. "Please… stop crying, Simon."
Her voice trembled—not with anger anymore, but with emotion.
Xavier froze for a second, stunned. Then his hands slowly lifted, hovering in the air, unsure… until they finally rested against her back.
The spell had faded long ago.
This wasn't magic calming her.
This was her heart.
Prizey pulled back just enough to look at him. Her hands came up, gently wiping the tears from his face, her fingers trembling as if his pain was burning her skin.
"Please don't cry," she said softly. "And… I'm sorry too."
Her voice cracked.
"I misunderstood you. I judged you without knowing everything."
Her palms rested against his cheeks, warm, grounding—real.
Xavier closed his eyes for a moment, leaning into her touch as if he had been starving for it.
He held her hands tightly, as if letting go would send her away forever.
"Please forgive me," he whispered.
"And please… never leave me."
The moonlight outside grew brighter, spilling into the room—silent witness to a love wounded, but not yet broken.
Xavier pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly—as if letting go even for a second might break something precious between them.
"I can't even stay angry with you, Prizey," he said softly, his voice trembling. "I never could."
He slowly pulled back, his eyes searching hers, filled with honesty and regret.
"But the truth is… I made mistakes too," he admitted. "I shouldn't have kept you in uncertainty for so long. I should have told you everything."
His voice dropped, heavy with fear.
"I was scared," he confessed. "Scared that the moment you learned the truth… you would leave me."
Prizey looked at him quietly. Then a small, knowing smile appeared on her lips.
"No," she said gently. "You didn't delay, Simon."
She stepped closer.
"You know I'm emotional," she continued. "If you had told me earlier, maybe I wouldn't have believed you back then."
Her eyes softened.
"But now… I love you."
Xavier froze.
"And because I love you," she whispered, "I trust you—more than I even trust myself."
Something inside Xavier finally broke free.
He rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. Their breaths mingled, their hearts beating in the same rhythm. For a moment, the world stood still.
Then Xavier leaned forward.
The kiss was slow, careful—almost sacred. Not rushed, not reckless. It carried every apology, every fear, every promise he had been too afraid to speak.
That kiss was his confession.
How deeply he loved her.
How desperately he feared losing her.
How fiercely he wanted to protect her.
It wasn't just a kiss—it was a vow.
Nearby, perched comfortably and watching everything far too closely, Luna—the magical white cat—gasped in horror.
"Oh my stars," Luna muttered. "What kind of emotional trauma is this?"
She dramatically covered her eyes with a paw… then peeked through her fingers.
"These people have absolutely no sense of boundaries," she complained.
"Kissing anywhere, anytime. Forests, villas, danger zones—same drama everywhere."
Then she gasped dramatically.
"Oh no, no, no! I did not sign up to witness this at my age," she groaned.
She squinted.
"And Xavier—wait—he isn't even fully human."
Luna shook her head.
"This is worse. Much worse," she sighed.
"A werewolf raised among humans and still this shameless."
She groaned.
"At this age, I did not expect to witness this kind of scene."
Then she glanced at them again—and despite herself, a tiny smile appeared.
"Annoying creatures," Luna muttered softly. "But… clearly destined."
They held the kiss—unbroken, unhurried—for a full minute, as if time itself had forgotten to move.
When they finally parted, Prizey laughed softly and tapped Xavier on the head in a playful, teasing way.
"So, Mr. bad werewolf," she said with a mock-serious tone, "don't tell me you've already forgotten your mission, hmm?"
Xavier burst into laughter, the sound light and genuine. He pulled her back into his arms, hugging her close.
"Mrs. Xavier," he replied teasingly, his voice warm against her hair,
"when I'm standing in front of you, I forget even myself—so what chance does a mission have?"
Prizey pulled back just enough to look at him, her eyes shining with affection. She gave him a soft, knowing smile.
"You know," she said gently, "you're not alone anymore, Xa—"
She stopped herself mid-sentence.
"Wait."
She stepped back, tilting her head thoughtfully.
"Should I call you Simon… or Xavier?"
Xavier smiled—a slow, meaningful smile. He placed both hands on her shoulders, grounding her, grounding himself.
"When we're alone," he said quietly, "I'm Xavier."
Then, with a playful spark in his eyes, he added,
"But in front of everyone else… I'm Simon."
Prizey nodded, pretending to think very hard.
"Okay then," she said, grinning.
"So, Xavier… shall we continue the mission?"
Xavier raised an eyebrow, impressed and amused.
"Wow," he chuckled, "that's a lot of passion, dear darling."
He leaned closer, his voice dropping just enough to send a shiver through her.
"Sounds perfect to me."
Under the quiet moonlight, with destiny standing silently beside them, two wounded souls finally found their way back to each other.
Under the watchful moon—and an undoubtedly judging magical cat—their mission resumed…
this time, not with secrets and fear,
but with trust, love, and fire burning equally in both their hearts