Xander sat in his room, restless. The echo of the evening's chaos still clung to the silence around him. He kept glancing at the door, almost expecting Luna to walk in. But minutes dragged on, and she never came.
Unable to sit still any longer, Xander rose and stepped out of his room. He didn't admit—even to himself—that he was looking for her, but his eyes scanned each hallway with quiet urgency.
As he turned the corner leading toward the outer wing of the mansion, a flicker of movement caught his eye.
There, standing alone on the balcony, was Luna. Her figure was silhouetted by the soft glow of the moonlight, her yellow gown gently swaying in the breeze. She stood still, gazing down at the silent, glimmering surface of the swimming pool below.
Xander slowed his steps, watching her from a distance.
Something about the way she stood—still, distant, fragile—stirred something unfamiliar in him. For a moment, he didn't know whether to approach her or leave her in peace.
But his feet had already started moving.
Committing suicide is forbidden," Xander said, his voice calm but sharp as he stepped onto the balcony. "And I told you before—you won't die by jumping from here."
Luna didn't turn to look at him fully, just slightly shifted her stance. "It's my life. I'll jump from wherever I want. Besides, I wouldn't die after informing anyone first, would I?" Her tone was laced with quiet defiance.
Xander took another step closer. "Where's the ring?."
Her eyes burned with a fiery mix of pain and fury. "Oh, I'm sorry—should I have treated your family's sacred heirloom with reverence? Right after your mother slapped me in front of an entire room?"
His jaw clenched. "Mother was upset. You—"
"Wore red?" Luna cut in sharply. "Or danced with my friends? Or laughed a little too freely? What exactly was my crime, Xander?"
He had no answer. His eyes held hers, but his silence was louder than words.
Luna stepped closer, her voice cracking—not from fear, but from the strain of holding herself together. "I'm not your family's puppet. I didn't ask for any of this. Not the ring, not the mansion, not the damn name."
The night air wrapped around them, heavy with all the words they hadn't said. And beneath the anger in Luna's voice, there was something else—wounded pride, and a longing to be seen for who she truly was.
Xander stood still for a moment, his gaze fixed on the pool below before he finally spoke, his voice quiet. "Our little sister was shot… on her birthday. She wore a beautiful red gown that day." He paused, the weight of the memory thick in the air. "Since then, my mother—she hasn't been able to cope with that pain. That's why she forbade anyone from wearing red."
Luna's expression faltered. The sharpness in her eyes dulled as his words sank in. Her anger didn't vanish, but it softened—muddled now with a hint of understanding. Still, she held her ground.
"So what if I danced with my friends?" she said, her voice firm but less biting. "Your family turned even that into some twisted issue of pride. You people are so... stuck in the past."
Xander moved closer. "We're not backward," he said, the defensiveness in his voice laced with weariness. "Come on, it's pretty late."
"I'll stay a little longer," Luna replied, her eyes drifting back to the pool, her tone clipped.
Xander exhaled slowly. "I know Mother is... strict. But she has a soft heart."
Luna turned her head, her gaze meeting his sharply. "Yeah? Well, her hand wasn't very soft."
Xander's expression darkened with guilt, but he said nothing.
Xander gave her a casual nod. "Okay. Stay here a little longer if you want. But just so you know… this house was locked up for a long time. We only moved in recently. Locals say it's… a little spiritual." He trailed off, glancing at her with a half-smirk. "Never mind."
He turned to walk away, but Luna reached out and stopped him.
"What are you saying?" she asked, her voice more curious than concerned.
Xander raised an eyebrow. "What happened? Are you scared?"
Luna pushed a thin, defiant smile. "I'm not scared of anyone."
"Of course," he said, with a mock-serious nod. "You're never scared of anything."
She cleared her throat, trying to regain composure. "Since you're not going in… I'll go. It's late. And I really don't want to hear you talk anymore."
She turned and started walking away, her tone sharp but her steps quick, betraying a little nervousness. Xander followed her with a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Suddenly, the lights went out.
Luna gasped. "Xander!" she called, panic rising in her voice as she stumbled in the dark—and without thinking, she jumped into him, her arms clutching around his shoulders.
The lights flickered back on.
And there she was—pressed against him, her face inches from his. Her breath caught, heart pounding at the proximity. Xander looked down at her, eyes gleaming with amusement.
"What?" he murmured, his voice low. "Do you like staying like this?"
Realizing how close they were, Luna's eyes widened. She shoved him away with a flustered, "Idiot! Who wants you?"
Xander chuckled, stepping back but watching her with a knowing smile. "Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Luna glared at him, cheeks tinged with pink, then stormed off toward the hallway, muttering under her breath.
Xander followed at a safe distance, still smiling.
Xander walked into the room with a pillow tucked under his arm and wordlessly made his way to the sofa.
Luna, already curled up on the bed, glanced at him. "Why were you looking for me earlier?"
"I wasn't," Xander replied, dropping the pillow and flopping onto the couch.
Luna snorted. "As if."
He stretched lazily, arms behind his head. "I promised Grandpa I'd take care of you… be responsible."
Luna's expression softened slightly, though she tried to hide it behind a scoff. "How noble of you."
"Don't turn off the light," she added quickly. "I… I can't sleep in the dark."
Xander turned his head toward her, raising an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
She hugged her blanket closer. "Just don't."
He reached for the switch, paused, then muttered, "Fine." Then added with a teasing smirk, "But sleep fast. If you don't, I might toss you off the bed just for fun."
Luna rolled her eyes but smiled faintly into her pillow. "You wouldn't dare."
"You really want to test that theory?" he yawned.
They both lay in silence after that, the room dimly lit, the tension softening into something calmer. Not quite peace, but something close.