Josie
I immediately forced a tremble into my hands, letting my fingers shake as I stared at the now-sprouted soil with wide eyes. "Kiel," I whispered, my voice laced with fear I didn't feel, "something's wrong… I'm scared."
It worked. His teasing expression dropped instantly. He was beside me in a flash, his gloved hands reaching out like I was glass about to shatter.
"What is it? Josie, what happened?" he asked, his voice laced with panic as he cupped my elbows.
But I couldn't answer. Because even I didn't know how to explain what I had just seen—or done.
The moment my fingers brushed that soil, it didn't just respond. It exploded with life. Vines twisted, fruits bloomed, colors bled into the gray, dead garden bed like I had painted it with my skin. It had been instinctual, like breathing. And I hated it.
My heart thundered in my chest. I shoved Kiel's hands off and bolted.
I ran.
