UNTIL THE STARS ALIGN
Chapter 15 — Until the Stars Align
The night was quiet.
Too quiet.
Luka walked beside Aria, their steps in sync as they wandered along the familiar riverside. The soft glow of the streetlights bathed them in gold, and the water shimmered like scattered stars.
Since her father's death, Luka hadn't left her side. Not once. He'd been there in the days of numb silence, in the long nights when she'd woken from dreams she didn't talk about, in the quiet moments where she'd sit, staring out the window, clutching the silver star charm on her wrist.
Tonight was supposed to be different. A night to escape. To breathe.
"Thank you," Aria said suddenly, her voice soft but steady, breaking the fragile quiet between them.
Luka turned to her. "For what?"
"For staying," she murmured, hugging herself against the light chill of the evening. "Even when I… don't have the words. You're just… there. Like you promised."
His chest tightened, but he smiled faintly. "I told you, Aria. I'm not going anywhere. Not now. Not ever."
She looked up at him then, her eyes deep pools of quiet sadness and something else — something he couldn't quite name, but that made him want to pull her closer, to shield her from the world.
"Luka," she whispered, almost as if afraid to break the moment. "Do you ever think about what we said… that day?"
He didn't have to ask which day. He remembered every detail. The soft light of sunset. Her trembling smile. His own voice, quiet but certain: I'll marry you someday. Be with you until my last breath.
"Every second," he admitted. His gaze stayed on her, steady and unflinching. "And I meant it. Every word. You're… you're it for me, Aria. You always have been."
The smallest smile tugged at her lips, fragile but real. "You shouldn't say things like that so easily. It makes it hard for me not to…" She stopped herself, biting down on her lip.
"Not to what?" he pressed gently, though his heart pounded.
Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears as she looked at him, truly looked, as if she were memorizing him — his face, his eyes, the way his hair caught the soft glow of the streetlights. "Not to fall for you even more."
For a moment, there was only silence, the quiet hum of the city far behind them, the rustle of leaves in the cool breeze.
And then Luka stepped closer, so close their shoulders brushed. "Then don't fight it," he whispered.
---
It should have been a perfect night.
It should have been the kind of moment Luka would look back on someday and smile.
But the universe had other plans.
---
The first sign that something was wrong came as a vibration in his pocket. A message.
Luka frowned, pulling out his phone without thinking.
> Unknown: We warned you. Stay away from her, or you'll lose her.
His blood ran cold.
He stopped walking so suddenly that Aria almost bumped into him. "Luka? What is it?"
He didn't answer. His eyes scanned the area around them, heart hammering in his chest. The quiet night suddenly felt… wrong. Too still.
"Stay close to me," he said, his voice sharper than he intended.
"Luka, you're scaring me," Aria whispered, gripping his sleeve.
He turned to her, forcing his voice steady. "It's fine. Just… stay with me. Please."
"Look," Aria whispered, tilting her head to the night sky. Tiny clusters of stars glittered like scattered diamonds across the inky black canvas.
"Beautiful," Luka said, but his eyes never left her.
Aria caught his gaze, cheeks warming, and rolled her eyes softly. "I meant the stars."
"I didn't," Luka murmured, the quiet honesty in his voice wrapping around her like a promise.
She stopped walking, turning to face him fully. The streetlights cast a halo around her, and for a moment, Luka swore she didn't belong to this world — like she was too bright, too good for it.
"Luka…" Her voice trembled slightly. "Do you think we… I mean, do you think we'll be okay? After everything?"
His hand found hers again, his thumb tracing soothing circles on her skin. "I don't think," he said, his voice steady. "I know. Until the stars align, remember? That's us. No matter what happens."
Her lips curved upward, but there was a sadness in her eyes — like she knew something he didn't.
"Until the stars align," she echoed softly.
---
They found themselves in the quiet park again, sitting on the familiar bench beneath the towering maple tree. The world around them faded as they talked about everything and nothing — books they'd read, places they wanted to see, and memories they'd never told anyone else.
"Paris," Aria said suddenly, her eyes alight. "I want to see Paris one day. The lights, the art, everything."
"Then we'll go," Luka replied without hesitation.
She tilted her head, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "You say that like it's simple."
"It is," he said. "If it's you, I'll make it happen. No matter what it takes."
Aria bit her lip, her chest aching at his words. She wanted to believe him — God, she wanted to believe him.
---
It was past midnight when they decided to head home. The streets were quieter now, shadows stretching across narrow alleyways. Luka walked close to her, every muscle tense without him realizing it. Something felt… wrong.
Halfway to her house, Luka slowed, his sharp eyes scanning the darkened corners of the street. "Aria… stay close."
Her brows knitted together. "Luka? What's—"
A faint noise — footsteps, too heavy, too deliberate — echoed from behind.
Then they were surrounded.
Three men stepped out of the shadows, faces obscured by black masks, their movements sharp and purposeful.
"Aria Fenton," the one in front said, voice low, dripping with venom. "You should've stayed hidden."
Luka immediately stepped in front of her, his arm shielding her instinctively. "Who the hell are you? What do you want?"
The man laughed, a chilling sound that made Aria's stomach twist. "Your father thought he could cross us. Thought his silence would protect his precious daughter. But debts… always come due."
Aria froze, the words sinking in like ice water. "This… this is about my dad?"
Luka's heart pounded, fury lacing through every vein. "You don't touch her," he growled. "You want to settle something, settle it with me."
The men closed in, and then everything blurred. Luka lunged forward, catching the first attacker with a punch that cracked against bone. Pain shot through his knuckles, but he didn't care.
"Run, Aria!" he shouted, twisting to dodge a swing.
"No!" she cried, terror and defiance burning in her eyes. "I'm not leaving you, Luka!"
Another man swung, and Luka stumbled as the blow caught his side. Adrenaline roared in his ears, every instinct screaming to protect her — to keep her safe.
Then it happened.
A flash of silver.
A glint of steel under the pale streetlight.
The world slowed.
"Luka!" Aria's scream ripped through the night as the man lunged at him with a knife. Without thinking, she moved — shoving him aside, her small frame colliding with his.
And then —
The sound. The sickening, muted sound of a blade sinking into flesh.
For a second, Luka didn't understand. Didn't comprehend the warmth splattering his shirt, the way Aria's body trembled in his arms.
Then he saw it.
Blood. Too much of it.
"No," Luka whispered, his voice cracking as his arms caught her, lowering her trembling body to the cold pavement. "No, no, no… Aria…"
Her lips trembled, her breaths coming in shallow, broken gasps. "I… I'm sorry… I just… couldn't… watch you…"
"Don't you dare say that," Luka choked out, his vision blurring with tears. He pressed his hands desperately to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. "Stay with me. Please. You're gonna be fine. You have to be fine."
Her trembling hand reached up, weakly brushing his cheek. "Luka…" Her voice was barely a whisper. "…you promised… until the stars align…"
"Don't—don't talk like that," Luka begged, his hands shaking as he held her close. "I meant it. I still mean it. I want to marry you, Aria. Grow old with you. Wake up every day next to you. Please… stay with me. Stay with me until my last breath."
Tears slid down her pale cheeks, her lips curving into the faintest, most fragile smile. "…then… I'll… be waiting… until the stars… align…"
Her hand slipped from his cheek, falling limply to the ground.
"No," Luka whispered, his voice breaking. He shook her gently, then harder, his chest aching like it was being torn apart. "Aria! No, stay with me! Please, God, no—"
The attackers were gone. Just like that, as if they'd never been there.
But Luka didn't notice.
The world had gone silent.
All he could hear was the ragged sound of his breathing, the frantic pounding of his heart, and the unbearable quiet where her voice should have been.
Sirens wailed faintly in the distance. Too far. Too late.
Luka pressed his forehead to hers, his tears mingling with her blood. "You can't do this to me, Aria," he whispered brokenly. "You can't… you can't leave me. We're supposed to have more time. We were supposed to…"
His voice cracked, shattering under the weight of the silence that followed.
And then —
The world went still.
The stars above gleamed coldly, indifferent, as Luka clutched her lifeless body in his arms — the girl he loved more than life itself — and screamed into the night.
---
TO BE CONTINUED…