In the haunted depths of Buckinghamshire's cursed forests, the long-awaited Day of The Ceremony had finally arrived. For the Kang Lockwoods, it was a sacred ritual known as the Bonding, an ancient rite performed beneath the watchful gaze of the full moon. Kaeleena, one among twelve sisters, wasn’t the eldest, several of her siblings had already faced this fateful night. For years, she had dreamed of her own Bonding, imagining the connection that would be forged : a beautiful, unbreakable one, linked to a soul destined to be her companion through fire and mist. Now it was her turn. Draped in the flowing elegance of her ceremonial gown, a pristine white that shimmered faintly under the moonlight, Kaeleena’s heart is pounding with excitement. The weight of her cape settled lightly on her shoulders as her mother guided her into the heart of the forest, to the sacred clearing where bonds were forged. Across from her, waiting in the shadows, stands her intended. He wears the traditional ceremonial black, and well, he is magnificent, she thinks. The Kang Lockwood tradition dictates her parents would lead them to this moment, her mother’s hand steady in hers, her father guiding him ( @dcrkfcngs ) forward. After guiding them, her parents leave, and they are left alone. Only the forest and the moon will witness what would follow. Her hands are tightly clasp together. She keeps her eyes on him with oh so many questions she couldn’t yet voice. His face, half-lit by the moon’s pale light, is captivating. The stillness of the moment is in a way, beautiful. She inhaled deeply and then, tentatively, Kaeleena extends her hand towards him. An offering. An invitation. The first step toward something unknown, yet fated. “I have seen you in my dreams. Have you seen me in yours?”
