Stone by Day, Love by Night

nto the thicket of roses, searching for clues, listening for whispers. Every touch, every brush of his fingers against a petal, felt like

t with each passing day. He was patient-he had no choice-but his mind

of the garden, but she too seemed to sense the shift in the air. There was s

hrough the garden, far away from the familiar, well-tended sections of roses. Alistair had never been this deep

pered, her voice carry

ntil only slivers of moonlight filtered through the dense foliage. He could feel the magic pulsing in the air, stronger tha

om the others in every way. Its petals were dark-black, almost violet in the moonlight-and they shimmered with a strange, otherworldly glow. T

her voice reverberating with a kind of reverence.

s something almost hypnotic about it, a pull that seemed to come from deep within

voice low and reverent, "

Your ancestors planted it here, deep in the garden, to conceal the so

ve the petals. He could feel its energy thrumming beneath his skin

it's not just a punishment, is

over time, the curse became a prison. A way to ensure that no one could misuse the power. The roses, the gar

t to keep him imprisoned forever. But now, as he looked at the dark rose, he began to understand. The curse wasn'

fore speaking the words, "that the key to

. It's something you must unlock within yourself. The power of the rose, the magic it holds-it is in your blood. You were born to protect

d together in ways he had never realized. And the curse-this prison that had bound him for so long-w

sudden surge of energy shot through him, unlike anything he had ever felt before. It wasn't painful, but it was overwh

ted the rose in the garden. He saw the moment the curse had been created-an ancient ritual, a promise made to protect the land, the magic, the r

had appeared, leaving Alistair breat

voice trembling with the weight

have shown you a glimpse of the past. They are revealing the truth to you, piece by piece. But this is j

made a promise to protect something-something powerful-and the rose had been part of that

nd steady, "I need to know more.

ossing her face. "We will, Alistair.

The key was within his grasp-he could feel it now, deep in his bones. But unlocking it would require more than just understanding the