Lara, as a doctor, was accorded a modest room in a house opposite the infirmary. That night, she went out to get some fresh air.
The full moon hung low in the sky, a silver orb casting its ghostly light over Carles, bathing the town in an otherworldly glow. The quiet was almost reverent, broken only by the soft rustling of leaves in the cold December breeze.
Lara found a weathered stone bench beneath an ancient oak tree, its gnarled roots protruding from the earth like several arms extending outward for a hug. Rather than sit on the bench, she settled on one of the roots, her gaze lifting to the moon.
A halo circled it — a large luminous ring of fire, ice, and light, vivid and mysterious against the dark sky. The sight stole Lara's breath.
Someone shouted to announce the phenomenon in the sky. People started coming out to bear witness to a once-in-a-lifetime enigmatic appearance of a ring around the moon.
