Eri stopped only when her lungs began to burn.She stumbled to a halt behind a cluster of glowing ferns, her hands clutching the neckce tightly against her chest as her tails fanned out behind her, trembling with adrenaline.

  Her heartbeat echoed in her ears — fast, unsteady, wild.

  For the first time since she’d broken away, she dared to breathe again.He didn’t follow… right?

  She crouched low, pressing herself against the mossy ground, her pointed ears twitching for any sign of footsteps. But the only sound was the faint rustle of leaves and the rhythmic hum of insects. The air shimmered faintly around her, every sense heightened — the sweet tang of the flowers, the pulse of energy that clung to the garden at night, and beneath it all, the faint whisper of the magic that always lingered within her skin.

  She opened her hand. The neckce glowed faintly in her palm, pulsing like a heartbeat — not hers, not Alex’s… something between.

  “Why won’t you just stay quiet…” she muttered under her breath, the words coming out half growl, half plea. She wanted to throw it away again, to let it vanish among the flowers and roots — but the thought of losing it for good sent a sharp ache through her chest.

  So she kept it.For now.

  Eri straightened slowly, brushing dirt from her skirt and gncing down at herself. Her tails shimmered faintly under the glow of the pnts, the silver strands catching and scattering the light in dazzling waves. Beautiful — but impossible to hide here. She pulled her illusion magic closer, trying to dull the brightness, but it flickered unsteadily. Her emotions were too loud, too raw.

  Then, as she gnced over her shoulder, her stomach dropped.

  A faint line of silvery fur marked the path she’d taken — like moonlight scattered through the grass.

  Her breath hitched. “No, no, no…”

  “I was too careless…” she whispered, pressing a trembling hand to her lips. “He’ll know.”

  The memory of Alex’s eyes — wide, searching, confused — burned in her mind.He didn’t know her name, but he’d seen her. The real her.

  And now she’d left him a trail.

  Eri tucked the neckce into her pocket and stepped back, gncing once more toward the direction she’d come from. The garden’s glow pulsed faintly, as if alive — and somewhere far behind her, she could feel the faint tug of the gem, still trying to pull her closer.

  “No,” she whispered fiercely, tail fur bristling. “Not again.”

  Then she turned and ran — deeper into the gardens, deeper into the darkness — the soft light of her tails flickering like shooting stars before vanishing among the trees.

  The night air felt heavier now — charged with the kind of silence that only came when someone else was too close.

  Eri crouched low behind a cluster of tall glowing flowers, her heart pounding so fast she could almost hear it echo through her chest. The faint sound of footsteps came from somewhere nearby — steady, cautious, getting closer.

  Alex.

  She could hear the leaves crunch softly beneath his shoes, the faint rustle of fabric as he pushed past branches. He was close enough that she could almost feel his presence. Every instinct screamed run, but her body hesitated. Her pulse wavered between fear and that strange pull — the same one that had begun when he’d picked up the neckce.

  “Ethan…?” his voice broke the air, uncertain but hopeful, like he was reaching out to a shadow.

  Her stomach twisted. Hearing that name — his name — hit harder than she expected.

  She swallowed the lump in her throat, clutching the neckce tighter in her palm. She needed to go. Now.

  Eri rose to her feet, her tails flicking behind her nervously, and started to move—quietly at first, then faster when she heard Alex push through the pnts toward her. The glow of the flowers danced across her silver hair as she ran.

  But in her rush, something slipped from her hand.

  Clink—

  The sound was sharp and small, but it felt deafening in the stillness. Eri froze, eyes wide, then turned sharply to see it — the neckce lying a few feet behind her, the chain tangled in the grass.

  “No—!”

  She spun back, sprinting toward it, fingers outstretched. The glowing gem caught the light just enough to make her chest ache. She snatched it up—

  —and stumbled.

  Her foot caught on a root hidden in the soil. The world tilted before she could even gasp, and the next thing she knew she was falling forward, the air whooshing out of her lungs.

  Crash—

  She collided with something solid. Someone.

  A startled noise left her lips as she nded awkwardly, the neckce still clutched in her hand, her body sprawled across Alex’s chest.

  For a moment, neither of them breathed.

  The only sound was the distant hum of night insects and the pounding of two hearts, far too close.

  Eri lifted her head slightly, eyes meeting his. His expression was a mix of confusion, recognition, and disbelief — his mouth parting as if to speak but no sound coming out.

  Her ears twitched nervously. Her tails brushed the grass beside him, catching faint glimmers of light. She froze, realizing just how impossible she must look to him right now — a girl with silver hair, fox ears, and a handful of tails glowing faintly under the garden lights.

  Alex blinked once. Twice."You again."

  Eri’s breath caught. She didn't respond. She couldn’t.

  All she could do was stare down at him, trembling, clutching the neckce tight against her chest.

  "Wait!”

  Alex’s voice broke the silence as Eri tried to turn away again, her tails trembling and breath coming in quick, frightened bursts. She still clutched the neckce like it was her only lifeline, refusing to look at him.

  “Just—” he said, his tone shifting — more desperate than angry now. “If you want that stupid thing so bad, then… here.”

  Eri froze.

  Her fingers loosened around the silver chain ever so slightly as Alex reached forward. He didn’t understand what it was — only that it meant something to her, something she was terrified of losing.

  “Here,” he repeated softly, stepping closer. “Keep it. I’m not gonna take it from you.”

  She stared at him, eyes wide, her body trembling. The glowing petals around them reflected in her silver irises.

  He took the neckce gently from her trembling hand. “See? You can have it.”

  And before she could react, he lifted the chain and slipped it carefully over her head.

  The silver touched her skin.

  Eri’s breath caught.

  For half a second, everything was still — her eyes going wide, her tails beginning to dissolve like mist. Then her voice hitched, and she whispered, horrified, “No—”

  Light flickered violently around her body. The glowing fur scattered into drifting motes of gold, ears fading, hair darkening as her body shifted, reshaped, folded in on itself.

  Alex stumbled back in shock, the sudden light forcing him to shield his eyes. “What the—!?”

  And when it faded, the girl was gone.

  In her pce, lying on the damp marble floor, was Ethan — breathing hard, drenched in moonlight, the neckce still glinting faintly at his throat.

  Alex just stared, unable to make sense of what he was seeing.Same face shape. Same body. But… completely different.

  Ethan’s eyes fluttered open weakly — blue again, not gold — and confusion met confusion.

  “E-Ethan?” Alex whispered.

  Ethan’s throat felt tight. He didn’t know what to say — couldn’t expin what had just been ripped away from him again. All he could do was sit there, trembling, feeling the absence where Eri had been only moments ago.

  His fingers brushed the cool metal of the neckce. It felt like a cage closing around him.

  Alex crouched beside him, still trying to find words. “I—I don’t understand. She—You—”

  Ethan managed a hollow, broken whisper. “You weren’t supposed to…”

  He trailed off, his voice cracking as his hands clenched around the neckce.

  Alex frowned, confused and concerned. “Hey, are you okay? You look like you’re gonna pass out—”

  Ethan ughed softly — a fragile, bitter sound that didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah… just fine.”

  But inside, everything felt wrong again. The freedom, the quiet, the lightness — all ripped away.He was Ethan again.And this time, it wasn’t his choice.