A few minutes passed before either of us spoke again.The cave was quiet except for the faint sound of the waterfall outside and our uneven breathing slowly calming down. My heart was still racing, and my lips still tingled from the kiss.
I glanced up at Zane.
He was looking at me with that same soft expression that made my chest feel warm and light at the same time. I wanted to ask for him to kiss me again but I couldn't muster the courage to say it, so I clutched the front of his white garment and said in a small voice, barely above a whisper, "can you do that again ".
A slight flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes and before I could react, our mouth clashed in a passionate kiss. His lips were commending yet gentle, making me melt under them. He wanted to put his tongue in my mouth and I opened it for him, has soon has I did, he intertwined our tongues, leaving me breathless and whimpering against his mouth, he then began on sucking my tongue wich made my legs weaken, Zane caught on it fast and pinned me against the wall while never letting go of my lips.
His hands left my face and now one was positioned on my waist to keep me steady and the other was slightly tugging the hair on my neck so that it would be easier for his tongue to explore my mouth and his thumb was gently glazing my ear lob. As our saliva was mixing whit one another my hands were still on Zane's chest, I was moaning between each swirl of his tongue. His eyes never left mine while we were kissing, his tongue was grazing the top of my mouth wich made my eyes roll back while I'm shivering and melting under him, my mind was blank as I was introduced to these news feelings.
After reluctantly parting our mouth to breath, we were a hot mess of panting and shivering, from my ears to my neck every part was red and Zane's cheeks were as red as strawberries, before either of us could say anything, a familiar voice called from outside the cave.
"Zane! Evan!"
It was Mira.Her voice echoed lightly against the stone walls.
She didn't come inside. Instead, she stayed outside the cave entrance, probably out of respect for our privacy.
"It's already late now!" she shouted. "Everyone's settling down to sleep!"
Zane chuckled softly in front of me, still blushing, I was still dazed from the kiss and my legs felt like jelly.
"We're coming!" Zane called back.
Mira snorted from outside.
"Took you long enough!"I could almost hear the teasing grin on her face.
Zane shook his head, amused, then looked back at me.
"Are you alright,Shall we go?" he asked quietly.
My cheeks warmed again, but I nodded.
"Yeah."
He reached for my hand without hesitation.Our fingers intertwined naturally, as if it had always been that way.And together, we stepped out of the cave.The night air was cool and refreshing after the warmth inside.
The moon hung high in the sky, bathing Lumina Lake in soft silver light. Villagers were already settling down on blankets and thick woven mats spread around the lakeshore.
Small lanterns flickered here and there, but most of the light came from the moon itself.When we approached the others, Mira immediately crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow."Well, look who finally decided to come out."
Lila giggled beside her."You two disappeared for quite a while."
My face instantly heated thinking back at the passionate kiss we just shared.Zane scratched the back of his neck, pretending to look innocent.
"We were just talking."
Mira snorted.
"Uh-huh. Sure."
Lila leaned closer to me with a playful smile."So, Evan… did you enjoy your first ritual?"Before I could answer, Isabella turned her head toward us.
She said nothing.But her eyes slowly moved from me… to Zane… and then to our still-intertwined hands.Then she looked toward the cave.
Her gaze sharpened slightly.She didn't say a word, but the message in her eyes was unmistakable.Then Isabella's expression softened, and she turned back to me with a small, knowing smile.
"Well," she said gently, "it seems the evening has been… eventful."
I nearly died of embarrassment.
Zane coughed awkwardly.
Mira burst out laughing.
"Oh gods, Mom, leave them alone!"
Lila nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes! They look like two startled rabbits already!"
I groaned and covered my face.
"Please stop."That only made them laugh harder.
After the teasing finally died down, we all settled down near the blankets laid beside the lake,the surface of the Lake reflected the moon like a mirror, and the forest around us was quiet and peaceful.
I looked around at the villagers already lying down.
"So… what are we doing tomorrow?" I asked.
Mira stretched her arms behind her head.
"Tomorrow morning is busy."
Lila nodded.
"First thing we do after waking up is breakfast."
"Then laundry," Mira added.
I blinked.
"Laundry?"
Isabella smiled patiently.
"Yes. All of our clothes."
"All of them?" I asked.
"Every single one," Lila said cheerfully.
"The ones we're wearing, and the ones we brought with us."
"We wash everything in Lumina Lake," Mira explained.
"It's part of the tradition. The water is pure, so it's the perfect way to start the new year."
I nodded slowly.
"That makes sense…"
Zane leaned back on his hands.
"After that, we fill our gourds."
"Gourds?" I asked.
"The travel containers," Isabella explained. "We bring water from Lumina Lake for the journey to the Kingdom of Luminas."
"We always drink Lumina water on the road," Lila added.
Mira grinned.
"And it tastes better than the river water."
"That's debatable," Zane muttered.
"It is not!" Mira protested.
They immediately started arguing, which made me laugh.
Watching them felt strangely comforting.
Eventually, everyone began settling down for the night.
Large blankets and thick woven mats were spread across the ground near the lake.
The air was calm, and the gentle sound of water from the waterfall echoed softly through the night, no dangerous animals could enter this area. The Lake was protected,that was why the villagers always slept here after the ceremony.
Our family arranged themselves together,Isabella laid down first in the middle,to her right, the twins settled down beside each other, whispering and giggling quietly, to her left, Zane spread out another blanket.
He glanced at me.
"Come here."
I laid down beside him.
Our shoulders touched slightly beneath the blanket.
Above us, the sky stretched endlessly, filled with thousands of bright stars.
I stared upward, completely mesmerized.
"It's beautiful," I murmured.
Zane turned his head slightly toward me.
"Yeah, it is."
But the way he said it made me suspect he wasn't looking at the sky.
The cold night air mixed with the warmth from the blankets and the soft murmur of villagers talking quietly around us.
Slowly… my eyes began to grow heavy.
The last thing I remember before sleep took me…
Was the kiss we just shared and the warmth of Zane's hand resting gently over mine.