Prologue
Knock knock knock.
Luna looked up and turned toward her door.
"Come in," she said gently.
The door creaked open, and a small head peeked in—soft hair and eyes dark as midnight.
He tilted his head slightly. The moment his eyes met Luna's, they sparkled warmly, as if stars had lit up within them.
"Sis!" he called out in a cheerful, childlike voice.
Luna smiled. "Leo, come here."
He ran to her and slid into her arms.
She stroked his head gently.
"Why isn't my precious Leon asleep yet?"
Leo looked up and said, "Can I sleep with you? I'm scared of sleeping alone."
"Still having nightmares?" she asked softly.
He shook his head. "No… I'm just scared. I feel like there's a ghost in the room."
Luna let out a quiet laugh. "Leo, didn't I tell you? There are no ghosts in this world. They're just illusions, nothing real."
"But please, sis?" he begged, eyes glimmering with tears.
She stared at him—he reminded her of a sweet little puppy.
She hugged him tight. "Leo can sleep with his sister whenever he wants."
Kissing his forehead, she rubbed her cheek against his and whispered,
"You're safe here."
Inside, she thought to herself:
'I'll protect you. I won't let what happened in the original story happen to you again.'
She took his hand and led him to the bed.
They cuddled under the covers, and soon Luna's breathing became calm and steady.
Leo slowly opened his eyes and gazed at his sister.
Suddenly, a shadow stretched out from under the bed.
A deep, eerie voice spoke:
"The King of the Underworld acting all cuddly and cute? If your followers saw this, they'd never sleep again. Haha."
The shadow swayed, but Leo ignored it, his eyes still on Luna.
Then the shadow crept closer, reaching toward her.
Leo's expression shifted instantly—his eyes turned cold and sharp.
In a low, threatening voice, he said:
"Don't touch her."
He sat up, glaring at the shadow—not like a child, but like someone who had survived countless battles.
The shadow laughed mockingly.
"Ah, there's the real you."
Leo's voice turned darker.
"Touch her again, and I'll kill you."
The shadow shivered slightly, raised its hands in retreat.
"Alright, alright… Just remember, my king. If you want revenge, you can't afford to have a weakness."
The voice faded into silence.
Leo turned back to his sister, reached out to gently touch her cheek.
He whispered:
"I won't let anything harm you… my treasure, my light In this life."
His lips curved into a faint smile—eyes still dark, yet soft—
And he nestled back into her arms and closed his eyes.