Whispers of the Moonflower

--- The morning sun filtered softly through the leaves of Elderwood, painting golden light across the quiet village of Roselake. Birds chirped above the rooftops, and the scent of wild thyme and fresh bread drifted through the cobbled streets. It was the kind of morning that felt like a promise. But for Liora, it was just another reminder. She rolled up her sleeve and stared at her bare wrist. Still nothing. Everyone her age had their Soulmark by now — delicate flowers that appeared when they met their first true love. Some bloomed quickly in schoolyards or village dances. Others glowed bright during sudden, magical moments. But Liora’s skin remained unchanged: smooth, plain, and frustratingly empty. “Still watching for it?” called a familiar voice. Liora turned to see Mira, her cheerful best friend, walking toward her with a basket of apples and a Soulmark shaped like a lilac glowing faintly on her collarbone. She’d gotten it a year ago after bumping into her now-boyfriend at the Harvest Festival. Liora forced a smile. “Maybe it’s hiding,” she joked. “Or shy.” Mira laughed, but her eyes were soft with sympathy. “Or maybe yours is special. Everyone says rare soulmarks take longer to bloom.” Liora didn’t believe that. She wasn’t special. She was just an apprentice to the village herbalist, spending her days mixing potions and fetching herbs from the woods. She wasn’t brave like the village warriors or charming like the traveling performers. If her soulmark had any chance of appearing, it would’ve done so by now. Still, something deep inside her stirred — a whisper, almost — like a leaf rustling before the wind comes. That evening, as the sky blushed with twilight, Liora’s mentor asked her to fetch moonshade petals from the forest’s edge. The herb was rare and only bloomed under moonlight. She hesitated — the woods were said to be haunted — but she needed to prove she wasn’t afraid of silly stories. So, with her satchel on her shoulder and a lantern in hand, Liora stepped beneath the trees, unaware that tonight, fate would finally answer her heart’s quiet yearning. And that her soulmark — the one she thought would never bloom — was about to awaken. ---