Years passed in the Moon Kingdom. Once, Aiden had become the Little Prince, a title given to him by the goddess Selene. He could protect others using the Crown of Thorns, creating vine-like replicas of any weapon in the universe. However, the thorns came at a price—they dug into his flesh whenever he hurt others or stood up to defend. This taught Aiden to feel remorse for his enemies and sometimes understand their pain despite its toll on his body. At night or whenever he wasn't training, he would see Selene, fascinated by her beauty and knowledge of everything. Selene was happy to have Aiden by her side and enjoy those ordinary days and lonely nights.

Months before the next blessing ceremony, when Aiden would receive his new home, Nikki entered the spring of eternal youth hidden on the moon. Water streamed from the walls into a crystal-clear pool below, tempting the earth women to take a sip. She knew her true love, Mai, would live forever and wanted nothing more than to stay by his side. She cupped the water before feeling the goddess's touch upon her back.

"If you drink that, there will be heavy consequences to pay. Immortality has its price," Selene warned, her voice carrying the weight of centuries as she held one of Nikki's wrists and looked at her with a hesitant yet warm gaze.

Nikki gazed at the water in her hands, her mind filled with the weight of her decision. She longed for eternal happiness by Mai's side, not wanting him to endure the pain of watching her age. "I'm ready to bear the consequences for the sake of my love," she declared. With unwavering determination, she drank all the water in her palm, witnessing her youthful body transform at a steep price. When Mai and Nikki later found a place overlooking the vibrant flowers and fields of the moon kingdom and settled down, trying to have a child of their own was futile. Hope seemed lost until the next blessing festival when Aiden expressed his desire to have a family like the other blossoms, to which the goddess agreed.

The day arrived as petals fell from the sky, the sun was bright, and the earth shone with green beauty down upon the sky. People of all races and stretches of the universe who resided in the moon kingdom sat ready to welcome the flower children into their homes. Aiden sat hopeful with his hands clasped, looking out at everyone, anxious to see who his family would be. First, the smaller flowers were sorted, and they went to their new families, happy to finally leave the moon palace. Next were the blossoms that had reached adolescence and those coming of age, like Aiden.

Selene's comforting voice cut through the crowd. "Aiden, the Little Prince..." she said, scanning the crowd before her finger pointed to Nikki, dressed in a floral-printed dress and a man holding her waist. "He will be under the care of Nikki and Mai. Do you two swear to care for him until the end?"

Having lost the ability to have children, Nikki's heart swelled with love when her eyes met Aiden's warm red eyes. Aiden walked to his new family, looking at the goddess with joy before running to the two. Selene smiled joyfully, seeing how happy Aiden looked. However, Kai was not as pleased with the ceremony. He sat watching everyone being matched with a new family, but he and his friends weren't matched like the other blossoms. They would remain in the moon palace, adding to his malice for Aiden. Selene guided him and the other blossoms, who weren't matched with a new family that day inside, as the others remained hopeful they would be matched one day. Aiden enjoyed his bond with Nikki and Mai and occasionally came home to spend time with the goddess in the gardens.

The night before Aiden decided he was ready to leave and explore the universe, the goddess offered him a spot to sit beside her in the fields before the moon palace. The night was quiet, and the whole moon kingdom seemed at rest. Above, thousands of stars darted across the galaxy, leaving trails of white beauty. The lunar winds swayed the grass, lulling Aiden into Selene's neck in peace as their two hearts beat in sync. Aiden was the first to speak, his words full of love for the goddess, though he did not yet understand this feeling. "Thank you, goddess, for giving me life and a real beating heart and for giving us this bright, endless sky and your knowledge of the universe and beyond."

Selene held the flower closer, smiling. "It was my greatest pleasure. And no matter how far you go or how many new people you meet, never forget that I love you more than anything." Aiden still didn't know the meaning of that strange word—love—and Selene didn't teach him its meaning with her infinite knowledge. But the word made his chest feel a strange new warmth. "For your travels, here." Her other arm revealed a music box with a painting of the children sitting in white clothes, playing with the goddess in the middle. She had spent days working on it secretly, weaving every note on the cylinder. "Whenever you get sad or miss your kingdom, give the box a few cranks, and it'll play you the lullaby I sang to you every night."

Aiden nodded, tears forming in his eyes as he held onto the music box for the first time. "I'll come back to you, goddess, I promise." With his promise exchanged and the goddess's gift in hand, Aiden took his first leap away from the moon kingdom, afraid to face his real feelings yet ready to face the unknown. Selene cupped her hands, hoping her little prince would return one day after exploring the galaxy and spreading his kindness wherever he went.

Selene watched the stars move to reveal a new sky and a new day for the moon. Silence filled the air while the goddess tried to hide her sorrow at seeing her little prince leave the moon kingdom. As she used her magic to create more flowers, some buddings came to her side and tugged on her dress. "Where's Aiden? We can't find him, and we came to play," they complained to the goddess, wanting to find the person who had given them so much joy.

The goddess knelt and smiled, trying to cheer up the children. "Well, Aiden is exploring the universe, but he'll be back. Sooner than we all know, he'll be back to play with us all." Disappointed, the kids looked at Selene but smiled and ran off to play pretend with each other. Mirabelle and Magnolia stood filled with joy and a slight pit of sadness, knowing Aiden was gone. Despite what Kai had said about Aiden causing the goddess so much sorrow at first or being smaller and weaker than the others, he had always been touched by Aiden's kindness. Hearing that Aiden had gone without asking him to be his friend made him sad.

When Kai heard of Aiden's departure, he smiled, knowing his chance to get closer to the goddess was right before him. A cold breeze blew through the field. While wandering around the flower fields, the woman from the shadows appeared again. She changed her appearance from her black crown and short black dress adorned with silver jewelry to resemble a petal, wearing a white flowing skirt and a crown of flowers. Her eyes remained dark and dull as she knelt before him, making the same offer. Her voice was warm, yet her words were mysterious, hiding a secret. "You can take his place alongside the goddess. If you use your charm and trust the unknown, you shall have all your heart desires."

"Who are you?" Kai asked, his voice steady. Now fully visible, Kai was consumed by her dull beauty yet kept his guard up.

The woman smiled, her lips curling, suggesting she knew more than she was letting on. "I am someone who can help you achieve what you desire, Kai. Power. Love. Everything you have ever wanted."

Kai felt a surge of excitement and unease. "How do you know my name?"

"I know many things," the woman replied, stepping closer. Her voice was soothing, each word weaving into his mind. "I know you seek the goddess's love, but she remains distant, unattainable." She scooped up one of the flowers still growing in the glistening soil, smiling at its small laughs. "I can help you change that. All you need is power—real power. And I can give it to you."

Kai's eyes narrowed. "And what do you want in return?"

The woman's smile widened. "Only your loyalty and the promise that you will fulfill your destiny."

Kai was tempted. Finally, gaining the power to surpass Aiden and win Selene's heart appealed to him the most. He agreed, and the woman stepped forward, touching his chest. Taking the woman's hand, he felt his heart quicken. Dark energy surged into him, filling him with strength and fulfilling part of the woman's plans. His powers grew exponentially, but darkness clouded his judgment. He became more assertive, ambitious, and ruthless in pursuing power and Selene's love. Sensing Kai's change, Bea and Sai were drawn to him. They were mesmerized by his new energy and the confidence it gave him. However, they were unaware of the price he had paid for this strength or the dark influence that now guided his actions.

Over the following weeks, Kai used his newfound power to grow closer to Selene. His charm became more persuasive, and his actions more decisive. Selene, though still distant, began to notice him in a new light, sensing his change but unable to identify its source. She smiled and praised Kai's strength, though she did not give him the reaction he wanted. Kai wouldn't give up, nor would the women of dark beauty, watching from the shadows and seeing her plans unfold. Selene, however, couldn't shake the loneliness and miss her little prince. She allowed Kai to stand by her side but never filled the emptiness she felt the day he left.

To take her mind off her broken heart, if only for a day, the goddess leaped down to the bright earth below, something she hadn't done in years, and saw how beautiful the world had become. She landed near a wedding altar in a field of vibrant grass similar to hers. Two people were dancing happily, the woman in a wedding dress with her hair tied into a neat bun and the man in a black tuxedo with a single rose clipped to his suit. The goddess looked at the couples dancing, confused, and even more so at the altar. She approached the two with curiosity. "What is it you two are doing, and what is the meaning of this altar?"

The couple smiled and paused their dance. The woman spoke first, holding up a bouquet. "We got married today! And this is a wedding altar where we stood and locked our love to each other right here." The woman then tossed the bouquet to Selene, who caught it curiously. "Now you'll get married next! When you find the one, you'll know."

"Married..." The couple returned to dancing as Selene took the bouquet and pondered the thought of locking love to someone in a ceremony humans called a wedding. The chairs were lined, forming an aisle with pink flower petals. Looking at the bouquet reminded her of Aiden. He was out somewhere, and she would wait forever to have him back. Selene wanted Aiden to experience the same thing—to show how much she loved him.

Selene soon left for the moon, holding the gift in her arms, searching for a way to overcome the one thing between them. She placed the bouquet under the sunlight and headed to a secret section of the study. There, she had many rare but powerful ancient books that detailed forbidden magic and rituals capable of overcoming the strongest of sicknesses or making one more powerful than ever. One white book stood out with a white cover and gold edges, adorned with a painting of a star and a woman. There was a specific page the goddess returned to, spending hours at night staring at it until she was sure she was ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for Aiden.

As for the little prince, he was out exploring distant galaxies and worlds. Wearing the white suit and constellation-adorned cape the goddess had made, he would use his crown to reach out to the stars, using cosmic energy to form wings that let him fly across the galaxy. On his travels, he learned to use his crown to fight off those who harmed others, growing to accept the pain of hurting others whenever he used the crown and the weapon he chose to create. He always tried his best to help others, but sometimes the odds were stacked against him, or his foe was twice or thrice his size. Yet he took on every challenge, even when he didn't know the solution.

Despite meeting many new people, as he had promised the goddess he would, something in the little prince's heart felt missing. He saw so many people together and happy, but meeting these new people was a fleeting feeling for him. He started to feel homesick and missed the goddess and his friends and family on the moon. On those nights, he sometimes sat alone, holding the music box Selene had made for him, giving it a crank to hear the familiar lullaby he listened to every night at the goddess's side. The golden needle hit each note perfectly, filling his mind with memories of the moon.

That was when he started to understand what love truly was. That was the day the little prince turned into a full petal. On that fateful day, sitting on a moon much smaller than any he had been to, he watched the sunrise on a planet he had been protecting. He hummed the melody of the moon, holding the box close to his heart, whispering to himself, "I love you too, goddess." Finally, understanding what it means to love—wanting to be with someone no matter what and to be close to them—Aiden turned around, following the same stars that led him on his journey through the galaxy, and headed back home to the moon.

Feeling her heart beat faster for some reason, Selene continued her preparations for the biggest wedding on the moon. Lights were strung from the streets, and flowers danced from the sky, making the kingdom look like a beautiful dream. In the center of her palace was the wedding altar adorned with more flowers, and her little buddings were practicing their roles for the ceremony. Although this was supposed to be one of the goddess's happiest moments, sorrow was hidden behind the meaning of the ceremony. In the book, that one line: When a goddess's blood is mixed with a mortal's blood, they will become mortal, and their souls will carry on eternal.

Selene knew the little prince was her everything. His laughs always brightened her days, while his tears made her too sad. She knew she would live for eternity and watch her beloved prince soon pass away one day. She didn't want to watch him suffer the consequences of drinking from the spring of eternity. This ceremony was to lock their love to each other as they enjoyed their last moments together—Selene's final gift to Aiden.

Patiently waiting for her beloved to return, she would sit on her throne and watch the sunrises and sunsets of the celestial realm. Until one day, her little prince came in the rising sun's orange, riding the stars with his wings. Selene stood up and reached out to hold her Aiden again, getting choked up as she felt him in her arms again. As the two embraced, Aiden told her, "I love you too, goddess."

"And I love you more than you'll ever know." The magic of those ordinary days filled her mind as tears fell down her face. She didn't want to say goodbye at all. Yet the thought haunted her every moment—wanting to make more memories with him and see him smile forever. Selene covered his eyes and brought him to the start of the aisle, where flowers kept falling from the sky and covered the ground. Selene knelt to the little prince, wiping her eyes. "This is called a wedding, little prince. Together, our lives can intertwine with each other, and we'll be reborn. I would rather live a hundred lives where we have to find each other again than spend an eternity alone, knowing you're gone."

Aiden looked up at the goddess with sadness, not fully understanding death or the meaning of her words, but he nodded. "I'm ready. Even if you're gone, I'll keep your love deep within me."

Selene smiled at Aiden and took his hand, guiding him down the aisle slowly as the moon kingdom witnessed the ceremony. In the goddess's hand was a knife tucked behind her back as she made a pure white veil with her magic to cover her face before whispering a promise: "I will find you, no matter where or when. The stars themselves bind our souls, and nothing can break that bond. When we do this, we are not ending our love—we are giving it a new beginning."

At the altar, the priest held Aiden and Selene's hands together while Selene held a knife behind her back. Once their vows were exchanged, Selene moved her veil apart to give Aiden his first kiss, and the crowd cheered them on, happy to see the goddess joyful and praising Aiden for seeing him happier. The moment came as the soft light of the sun illuminated the altar. Selene held the knife closer to Aiden's heart, holding him tighter. "We will meet again, Aiden. In every life, I will find you because I love you." She placed the knife through his heart, watching his eyes grow dull in her arms as tears streamed down her face.

Selene then grabbed the knife and put it through her chest, listening to Aiden's final words before she joined him. She sat on her throne holding her beloved close waiting for their next life. "And I will always be there, waiting for you because I love you too..."

With Aiden's and Selene's lives merging, they fell into each other's arms, happily passing their love on amongst the stars with a vow to reunite one day.

And that's how the Moon Goddess fell in love with a loyal little rose. Memories of their past life slip through the dreamer's mind, and they remember everything now. Selene and Aiden found each other once more and fell in love as they promised each other centuries ago. The two remain forever intertwined, no matter how much time passes. Their love is eternal...