The courtyard of the Butterfly Mansion was bathed in a breathless, ethereal silence, illuminated only by the brilliant silver of a perfectly full moon hanging in the ink-black sky. Beneath the soft, glowing canopy of the wisteria trees, Chiyo and Hotaru sat close together on the wooden porch, the cool night breeze gently rustling the silk of their overlapping *haoris*. Slowly, almost hesitantly, Hotaru slid her hand across the smooth wood until her fingers brushed against Chiyo’s, finally weaving them together in a soft, tight grip. As they looked up at the vast, luminous sky, the moonlight caught the tear-like shimmer in Chiyo's silver-blue eyes and reflected beautifully off the champagne-gold strands of Hotaru's hair. For a few fleeting moments, the weight of the war and the unspoken fears holding them apart completely vanished—leaving only the quiet warmth of their joined hands and a beautiful, aching peace beneath the stars. Ver mais