By the time fifth period started, Ethan was running on fumes. His head pounded in time with the fluorescent buzz above him, his body begging for sleep that wouldn’t come.

  He’d been zoning out so hard that he almost missed the sound of their teacher — Mrs. Hawthorne — clearing her throat.

  “Alright, everyone,” she said, her voice bright, too cheerful for how dead the css looked, “I’ve got something fun for you today.”

  A few tired students perked up. Most didn’t.

  She started passing out glossy sheets of paper down each row. Ethan blinked when one slid onto his desk.

  Field Trip Notice — City Botanical Gardens: Night Tour Event

  He squinted, reading through the page.It was scheduled for next week — an evening trip, of all things. The school was taking the css to the botanical gardens to see some rare bioluminescent pnts that only bloomed after sunset.

  An overnight trip, technically. They’d return around midnight.

  The moment he read the words “Night Tour,” something fluttered deep inside him — something instinctive.

  The idea of walking through glowing forests under moonlight, surrounded by nature and silence, made his heart twist painfully.

  Eri would have loved that.

  The thought stabbed at him. Hard.

  Because she would’ve belonged there. The night. The soft light. The quiet beauty. It matched her — not him. Not Ethan.

  He ran a thumb over the edge of the paper, trying to ignore the way his pulse quickened.

  “Permission slips are due by Friday,” Mrs. Hawthorne continued. “You’ll need your parents’ signature, obviously, and dress appropriately for walking outdoors at night. This is a really special opportunity — the gardens are usually closed after dark.”

  Someone in the back groaned. “So… a fancy walk in the dark?”

  The css ughed. Ethan didn’t.

  He just kept staring at the paper.

  Nighttime. Moonlight. Freedom.

  His heart was racing now, and he could feel the faintest warmth from beneath his shirt — where the neckce rested against his chest.

  He froze.

  No glow, thankfully.But still — it felt like something inside him had stirred, like Eri had pressed her palms against the inside of his soul, whispering let me out.

  Alex leaned over from the next desk, gncing at the sheet.“Botanical gardens, huh? Not bad. Better than a museum trip.”

  “Yeah,” Ethan said faintly, voice tight.

  Alex frowned. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” Ethan said again, sharper this time — too fast.

  He stuffed the paper into his bag, forcing himself to breathe evenly.

  But the thought wouldn’t leave his head.

  The gardens. The moon. The night.

  He could see it — the glow of the lights against Eri’s silver eyes, her tails shimmering under the stars, her feet brushing the grass as she walked barefoot through the soft glow.

  He shut his eyes for a moment, trying to silence it.It didn’t work.

  The bell rang. Everyone started packing up, ughing, compining, chatting. But Ethan stayed still for a second longer, his hand over his chest where the neckce y cold and still.

  The field trip was in seven days.

  And deep down, he already knew — the moment he stepped under that moonlight, something inside him was going to break.

  Dinner was over.The house had gone quiet again — his sisters holed up in their rooms, his parents downstairs watching TV.

  Ethan sat at his desk, staring at the permission slip id out in front of him.He’d already filled in his name.The rest of the page was bnk.

  His pen hovered over the paper, unmoving.

  The words City Botanical Gardens — Night Tour Event sat there, practically glowing in the mplight. It looked harmless. Ordinary.

  But to him, it might as well have been a spark waiting to burn everything down.

  He gnced down at his chest — at the faint outline of the neckce under his shirt. His fingers brushed against it through the fabric, feeling that same cool pulse against his skin.

  He knew what he was thinking.He also knew how dangerous it was.

  If he took the neckce off there — under the moonlight, surrounded by people, cssmates, teachers — it would be the end.Someone would see.Someone would know.

  But the thought wouldn’t leave him.

  That pce. That light. The quiet air.He could feel how right it would be.

  How she would belong there.

  His pen tapped against the desk, his other hand still pressed over the neckce like it might stop his heart from beating out of his chest.

  He knew the risk. He knew it was reckless.But for the first time in weeks, he actually wanted something.

  He wanted to walk under the moon as Eri.Just once.Even if it meant everything else fell apart.

  He sighed and leaned back, running a hand through his messy hair.

  “God, this is stupid,” he muttered under his breath. “I can’t. I shouldn’t.”

  The silence that followed didn’t help.

  He looked at the permission slip again — the empty space for a parent’s signature mocking him.

  He could already imagine his mom’s face. “Oh, that sounds lovely, Ethan! A night at the gardens. I’m sure you’ll have fun.”

  If only she knew what he was actually thinking.

  He stared down at his hands for a long time before finally pulling open the drawer and taking out a pen.

  He filled in the remaining details in neat, careful writing, folded the paper, and tucked it into his backpack.

  Done.

  But even after it was out of sight, he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

  Seven days.Seven days until the night tour.

  And deep down, he already knew he wasn’t going there as Ethan.