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As we gathered our materials to ascend to the roof, we heard another knock. It was Lucy, focused and ready for the ritual.
"Glad you could make it," she greeted Holly. As their eyes met, something unspoken but profound passed between them.
"Wouldn't miss it," Lucy replied. She walked in, holding a small, intricately stitched pouch that dangled from a thin leather string around her wrist. She looked at Holly again as she tucked the bag into the pocket of her flowing skirt.
"We're all here, then," Holly announced. "Shall we?"
Lucy’s arrival felt like the last piece of a complicated puzzle snapping into place. She had brought something with her, something that resonated with Holly, and I would have sworn that the air around us held its breath in expectation.
We climbed the stairwell as a foursome, and the building seemed to welcome us on our ascent. The usually creaky steps remained reverently silent under our feet. The dim light that normally flickered in the corridor stayed steady, casting a steady glow illuminating our passage.
As we reached the rooftop door, a shiver worked its way up my spine. The lock yielded easily to Logan's key, as it also understood that it was no ordinary night. The building itself recognized the gravity of what we were about to undertake.
At the rooftop, we spread out, awash in twilight's final glow. It felt like sacred ground, like we stood on the border between two worlds.
Holly went to work laying out a circle of candles. Then she placed other elements, each finding its place as if guided by invisible hands.
Lucy delicately set the moonstone and feather at the cardinal points, adding her own magic touch. I hovered around, feeling like a spare part in a finely tuned engine but an essential one nonetheless.
Finally, the moment arrived. I floated next to Logan. As we stood in the fading light, Logan cleared his throat and glanced at each of us—Lucy, Holly, and me.
"I can't thank you all enough for being here," he began, his voice steady but edged with emotion. "Holly, your expertise is a godsend. Lucy, your friendship and unexpected talents are invaluable."
He looked at me, and his voice softened. "And Ben, what can I say? Loving you has been like finding a part of myself I never knew I was missing. Tonight wouldn't mean anything without you here."
I thought perhaps I should respond, but I couldn’t think of appropriate words. As if they all understood, Logan, Holly, and Lucy returned to finishing their preparations.
I hovered at the circle's edge, eyeing the candles and mystical objects, feeling like an extra puzzle piece that didn't quite fit into the final picture. Should I stay at Logan's side or give them space to focus?
As Logan began to intone the first syllables of the chant, I made up my mind. I floated upward, lingering just above their heads, in a space where I could still feel intimately connected yet remain unobtrusive.
It felt right—close enough to be part of the sacred geometry below me but still leaving plenty of room for the magic to proceed without my interference.
Logan continued to chant, his voice rising and falling in an ancient melody. Holly's voice joined in, adding layers of resonance, while Lucy offered a soft harmony. Each sound seemed to vibrate through the air, the energy present and electric.
My entire form quivered like I was a butterfly, ready to break free from a chrysalis. Everything had led to this moment.
It was time.
Logan
Under the full moon’s glow, I paused in my chanting. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the worn photo of Ben. As I placed it in the candle circle's center, it felt like I was offering up my heart.
"Whoa, is that Ben?" Lucy and Holly both leaned in, eyes widening.
"He's a total babe," Holly gushed.
Lucy nodded, clearly smitten. "You have good taste, Logan."
I grinned. "Alright, you two, eyes back here. We've got a ritual to finish."
Looking at Lucy and then Holly, I felt a lump in my throat, like I was standing on the edge of something irreversible. "Before we can go any further with this ritual," I began, my voice wavering slightly, "there's a part of me that has to come to light. Something deep and...hidden, as required by the ritual.”
I took a shaky breath, feeling raw and vulnerable. "I've written love letters—reams of them," I paused, trying to gauge their reactions but not daring to meet their eyes, "and I've never sent a single one. They aren’t addressed to a particular person. Each letter is a piece of my soul that I've sealed away. They're not just words; they're echoes of the love I never thought I’d be brave enough to find. All those letters and hopes hide beneath my bed like shreds of a half-lived life."
Silence fell over us. Lucy lowered her head and nodded, her eyes misty, a sweet smile tugging at her lips. She pulled the small pouch from her skirt.
As she opened it, her fingers carefully navigated its contents before emerging with an array of gemstones. Each one looked like it had been kissed by starlight.
