There is a time for everything. A time for sorrow and grief. A time for joy and laughter, for fear and courage. However, to err is human, and in our imperfection we sometimes feel the wrong thing at the wrong time. I steady my breaths. My heart and mind war over what to feel. I _think_ I should be afraid, but I’m not. My heartbeat thumps behind my ears and I choke down my excitement. The last time I stood before these jagged rocks, I was terrified. I knocked on this door once before, and my hand quivered with panic. But that was before I met the man inside. I was lost and cold. My skin was sliced by thorns and my feet blistered and raw from wandering the Black Woods. I had nowhere else to turn. But today, there’s nowhere I’d rather be. I slow my steps and steady myself as I approach the door, the stone path slick from freezing rain. Today, I knock eagerly, paying no mind to the whisper of uncertainty in my head. Hinges creak and warmth pours through the door to mingle with the cold. I drag my gaze up a slender but solid frame clad in black, and peer into dark eyes that shimmer with amusement. I hold my breath. His lips slowly curl into a wicked smile that dimples his pale cheeks and bares his pristine teeth. A deep, velvety sound swims in my ears. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t return, Miss Evera. Please, come in.”