**With the night comes darkness, but also stars,** **A sky of velvet, dotted with distant scars.** **Each one a story, burning bright,** **Whispering secrets in the still of the night.** **Beneath their glow, the world stands still,** **The quiet hum of time, an endless thrill.** **Shadows stretch, but hope is near,** **In the dark, the stars appear.** **They shimmer softly, like forgotten dreams,** **Guiding lost souls with their silver beams.** **For though the night may swallow whole,** **The stars ignite a weary soul.** **In their light, we see what’s true,** **The beauty that darkness hides from view.** **With the night comes darkness, but also stars,** **A promise that even night can heal our scars.**

**The moon hung low in the sky, a silver kiss upon the earth, its light casting a soft, ethereal glow over the quiet garden. Lila stood there, breathless, her heart fluttering like a bird caught in a net. Her gaze locked with his—Nathaniel’s—his eyes deep, like twin pools of night, pulling her in closer, making her forget everything but him.** **His smile was slow, deliberate, the kind of smile that promised things untold, hidden in the shadows where light dared not tread. The air between them crackled, thick with anticipation, and yet, something about it felt wrong. She couldn’t quite place it—was it the way his fingers twitched, as though eager to touch her? Or the way his presence seemed to fill the garden, suffocating it, until there was no air left but him?** **“You’re beautiful,” Nathaniel whispered, his voice soft, coaxing. His words slid over her skin like silk, but there was something unsettling in their warmth, something that made her pulse race for reasons she couldn’t explain. She took a step forward, almost instinctively, drawn to him as if by some invisible thread.** **He took her hand, his touch cold as ice, sending a shock through her body. His grip tightened slightly, possessive, and she gasped, but it wasn’t from fear. It was something darker, something thrilling that made her blood run hot and cold all at once.** **“Stay with me,” he murmured, his lips brushing her ear, and the world seemed to tilt as his breath lingered against her skin. Her body moved closer, compelled, despite the knot of unease tightening in her chest.** **Something was wrong. She couldn’t stop herself, couldn’t move away, even as she felt the earth beneath her feet shift, as though it too wanted to hold her captive. A distant, echoing sound broke through the silence—a creak of the old iron gate swinging open, the faintest whisper of movement that sent chills crawling up her spine. The moon’s light, once soft and gentle, now felt harsh, glaring down at them as if it knew the truth.** **He tilted his head, and for a brief moment, Lila saw the hunger in his eyes—a dark, insatiable need that chilled her to the bone. But before she could pull away, he kissed her, and the world spun wildly. His lips were too cold, too unyielding, as if they were not meant for the warmth of living flesh.** **The garden seemed to close in around them, the shadows deepening, the flowers wilting as the kiss lingered longer than it should have. And then she understood. He wasn’t just taking her heart—he was taking her soul, pulling her into a dark, endless night where she would never see the light again.** **When he finally pulled away, his smile was different—darker. “Forever,” he whispered, the word sinking into her skin like a promise, a curse.**

**The house at the end of the street had always been there, like a shadow, looming over my childhood memories. It was the kind of house you didn’t dare go near. Boarded-up windows, a crooked roof, the air always seemed thicker around it, as if it held its breath in silence. The older kids talked about it in whispers—some claimed they saw lights flickering behind the cracked walls at night, others said the place was haunted by the spirits of the people who vanished there years ago. But no one ever went close, not for as long as I could remember.** **Today, something felt different.** **The sky was a pale blue, the kind of morning that promised adventure if you dared to take it. I had walked past the house a thousand times, never thinking much beyond the stories. But today, I couldn’t ignore it any longer. My curiosity had finally gotten the best of me. I had to know what lay behind those closed doors, behind those dark windows.** **I reached the corner of the street where the house stood, and for a moment, I paused. The familiar feeling of unease crept over me, but there was something else now—a sense of challenge, of something calling to me from within. I took a deep breath and walked up the overgrown path leading to the front porch. The house seemed to grow taller the closer I got, its silhouette stark against the morning sky.** **With each step, the boards on the windows seemed to grow darker, more ominous. But the odd thing was—no one had been around to maintain it for years, so how had the house stayed so… intact? No one knew. The neighbors kept their distance, the property had been sold off multiple times and always abandoned. Yet, it stood there—silent and waiting.** **I reached the front door, feeling the pulse of the house beneath my feet, and looked around. The street was empty, the usual hum of life absent. I was alone.** **I tried the door handle. Locked. Of course. But then I noticed something strange: a small gap between two of the boards on the side window. Enough for me to slip through.** **I hesitated. The stories were one thing. But this… this was real. The house was real. The dust, the creaking wood, the ancient smell of decay—it all felt so tangible now. But my curiosity, stronger than any fear, pushed me forward.** **I grabbed a small rock from the yard and wedged it between the boards to pry one free. It came loose with a loud crack, and I winced, glancing around nervously. But the street was still empty, the only sound the soft rustling of the wind in the trees.** **With a deep breath, I crouched low and squeezed through the opening.** **The air inside was stale, thick with the weight of abandonment. Sunlight filtered through the cracks in the wood, casting long, broken beams across the room. The walls were covered in layers of dust, and the faintest smell of mildew lingered in the air. Everything was still, frozen in time.** **I took a few cautious steps forward, my shoes creaking on the floorboards. My heart raced, every nerve on edge. There was something about this house, something I couldn’t shake. The deeper I went inside, the more I felt it—like the house was holding its breath, waiting for something.** **I turned a corner and froze.** **In the center of the room stood an old, dust-covered mirror. It was cracked, with jagged lines running through the glass, but it still reflected the room in an eerie, distorted way. Something about it pulled me closer. My reflection in the mirror looked… wrong. It was me, but not quite. My face was obscured by shadows, my eyes too dark, too empty. I blinked. The reflection didn’t blink.** **My breath caught in my throat.** **Before I could step back, the sound of a creaking floorboard echoed from upstairs. A distant noise, almost too quiet to hear, but unmistakable.** **I wasn’t alone.** **Suddenly, the stories didn’t seem so far-fetched anymore. The house was alive in a way I hadn’t expected. And now, it was awake.**

**The moon ascends in silver grace,** **A guardian in the starry space.** **Its light spills softly on the ground,** **A peaceful hush, without a sound.** **The stars, like diamonds, fill the sky,** **A thousand voices, silent, high.** **They tell their stories, faint but bright,** **In the tender embrace of night.** **The breeze stirs gently through the trees,** **Carrying with it ancient pleas.** **It brushes past, a whispered song,** **Of things that in the dark belong.** **Beneath the cloak of twilight’s veil,** **The world exhales a secret tale.** **The shadows stretch, both far and near,** **Where mystery and stillness peer.** **The owl calls out from distant wood,** **Its hoot a warning, understood.** **The night is vast, its voice a plea,** **To those who listen, wild and free.** **But not all things that roam the night,** **Are soft and gentle, pure and bright.** **There’s darkness, lurking in the deep,** **Where dreams are lost and shadows creep.** **The wind howls low, the branches sway,** **And somewhere far, a dog will bay.** **The night is thick, with secrets old,** **A time for tales both kind and bold.** **Yet in its depths, a quiet peace,** **A pause where restless hearts may cease.** **For in the night, we learn to see,** **The beauty of what used to be.** **So let the night embrace the soul,** **Its mysteries, both dark and whole.** **For in its quiet, we may find,** **The whispers echo in our mind.**

**The air is sharp, the silence deep,** **Each breath a ghost the cold will keep.** **Through icy spires, a shadow lingers,** **The frost bites soft with brittle fingers.** **A path unknown, a whispered dare,** **The light ahead both faint and rare.** **Each step resounds in hollow song,** **The journey cruel, the night so long.** **What calls me here, what force unseen,** **Through frozen veils, through silver sheen?** **A secret lies within this place,** **A hidden truth, a veiled face.** **And though the chill may pierce my bone,** **I press through realms of ice and stone.** **For in the shadow, I feel the trace—** **The pull of purpose, time, and space.**

**I wandered through a hollow haze,** **Where time stood still, the nights unkind.** **Each step a question, paths ablaze,** **Yet answers seemed too far to find.** **The weight of doubt, a heavy shroud,** **Pressed tightly on my aching chest.** **I stumbled, lost within the crowd,** **No peace, no hope, no time to rest.** **But then a whisper, soft and clear,** **It pierced the dark, a sudden flare.** **Not from without, but somewhere near,** **A quiet truth beyond compare.** **It said, “The strength you seek is yours,** **The light you chase already burns.** **Each broken step has opened doors,** **Each scar is where your wisdom learns.”** **And with those words, the shadows broke,** **The world transformed before my eyes.** **The air grew warm, the heavens spoke,** **Their stars like lanterns in the skies.** **I saw the beauty in my pain,** **The purpose hidden in the strife.** **Each tear had watered hope’s domain,** **Each trial gave breath to fuller life.** **No longer lost, no longer small,** **I stand where earth and sky align.** **The revelation gave its call—** **The power I sought was always mine.**