💥 SECOND LAST STEP TO GO LINKS💥
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Days turned into weeks, and Lila found herself thinking about Rowan constantly. Since that fateful night, he visited her often, appearing in her garden as effortlessly as the moon rose in the sky. They would walk among the glowing blooms, talking about everything and nothing—her past, his mysterious connection to the Midnight Garden, and the secrets held in the stars above them.
Despite the wonder of it all, Lila couldn’t ignore the questions swirling in her mind. Who exactly was Rowan, and why had he appeared now? His presence felt so real, yet there was an air of mystery surrounding him, something beyond what he shared with her.
One evening, as they sat beneath the canopy of stars, Lila worked up the courage to ask him directly. "Rowan, I have to know—why me? Why now?"
He gazed at her for a long moment, his dark eyes flickering with a mix of emotion and something deeper, something ancient. "Lila," he began, his voice low and filled with tenderness, "this garden exists outside of time. It only reveals itself when someone is truly ready to embrace it—when their heart is open to love but has yet to find it."
Lila frowned slightly, her fingers brushing the petals of the enchanted flowers beside her. "But you... you don’t seem like someone from this world."
Rowan smiled, a sad, knowing smile. "I’m not. I’ve been the guardian of this garden for centuries. My task is to watch over it, to protect its magic, and to guide those who are meant to find it. I can only exist within its boundaries." His gaze softened. "But with you, things are different."
"Different how?" Lila asked, her heart pounding.
"You’ve stirred something in me, Lila," Rowan admitted, reaching for her hand. "Something I haven’t felt in all the centuries I’ve tended this place. I was meant to guide you, but now… now I find myself wanting to stay, to be more than just a guardian."
Lila’s breath caught in her throat. She had never imagined that her lonely nights in the garden would lead to something like this. "But if you can’t leave the garden, what does that mean for us?"
Rowan’s hand tightened around hers. "The garden’s magic is powerful, but it comes with rules. If I stay with you, I may have to give up this place, my role, everything I’ve known. But for you, I think I would."
Lila’s heart raced at his words, but fear crept in as well. "I don’t want you to give up everything for me."
"I wouldn’t see it that way," Rowan said softly. "Love is the most powerful magic of all. Perhaps together, we could create something new, something beyond the garden’s boundaries."
As he spoke, the glowing flowers seemed to pulse brighter, as if sensing the depth of Rowan’s emotions. Lila felt a warmth spread through her, a certainty she hadn’t expected. Maybe the garden had brought them together for a reason, and maybe love really could transcend the magic that bound Rowan to this place.
She met his gaze, her decision clear. "Then let’s see what we can grow—together."
