"If we continue this, we'll just hurt each other even more." Tears she tried to hold back began to flow, her purple eyes filled with all the love she could muster as she looked up at the man before her.

"Maybe we weren't meant to be together. Maybe fate forbids us to be more than this."

His strong hand delicately caressed her flushed cheeks, holding her so gently as if letting go meant losing her forever.

Mahiro Tsugikuni, the youngest daughter of the Tsugikuni family, held his hand tightly as the two hid in their garden, where only two lovers found solace in each other's presence.

"Even if fate forbids us, I still love you, Mahiro," Shion Miyaura, the family's private soldier, professed his undying oath for her. "Even with a different body and name, in this life and the next, I will always love you."

Amidst the war and chaos of the Sengoku era, love was not forbidden and knew no bounds between two hearts that beat for each other.

The garden blossomed with flowers under the summer sky adorned by an ocean of stars. Crickets chirped in unison along the soft howl of the wind, enveloping the two in a warm embrace of affection. 

This garden had been cultivated by the two since the day they first met, the blooming flowers bearing witness to the bond that deepened and grew as hours turned to days, days turned to years, and feelings turned to love.

Mahiro loved his blue eyes, a color that brought her peace and comfort, like the hue of the sky when they cloud-gazed together, or the heavens that looked down upon them as they danced among the field of daisies.

For Shion, Mahiro brought him a light he never knew he needed. He found someone he wanted to protect with his life. She was the moon in the night, guiding him toward the right path, toward an emotion he never knew he was capable of—love.

But fate was cruel and unforgiving. As a soldier, Shion Miyaura had to fulfill his duty to defend the family against the demons. Their love was discovered, and Shion had to be sent away to the battlefield.

Mahiro held him close, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, begging the moon above for a blessing for this moment, that her lover would come back.

Hoping that there's a universe where their love shall work, that there are versions of themselves existing, heart to heart, and nothing standing between them. 

Her heart ached at the thought of letting him go, fearing it meant losing him forever.

Mahiro only wished that somewhere out there, perhaps in another life, they could be together.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you," she cried, her voice muffled in Shion's shoulder. "I have no one. Please, don't leave me too."

Shion never wanted to hear her cry. He promised to make her smile, to love her, and to be there when she needed someone—He promised to protect her.

It's only a matter of time before fate decides to tear them apart.

"But you have me," Shion managed, his voice remaining composed. "Until the last star in the sky dies, you have me."

"In the end, I will become the moon and seek you amongst the stars. The dust of me will whisper 'I love you' into the infinity of the universe, to the next life and the life after that."

His hand brushed delicately over her burgundy hair, pulling her close. Their lips met in a kiss that was as gentle as it was desperate, a bittersweet taste of love and loss. 

At that moment, every unspoken word, every suppressed emotion, and every lingering hope was poured, knowing it might be their last. 

The kiss was a tender vow, a silent promise that transcended time and fate between two tragic lovers, leaving a mark on their souls as the world around them seemed to stand still.

"According to a Japanese legend about soulmates and reincarnation, the face you see in the mirror is the face of your lover from a past life."

『Prologue. BLUE MOON || T. MUICHIRO』

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