The cracking of thunder is so loud that it causes my bones to vibrate.
Only then do I realize there's a storm outside. A second later the sky just unloads—rain slamming down so hard it feels like the air itself is breaking apart. It's coming down like hail, like the whole world decided to turn ugly all at once. Great. Walking in that will feel like knives.
Will throws his head back, shouting into the storm. "I need more time, Grandfather, please!"
Grandfather? What the hell?
"I need to get home," I blurt, my voice shaky but firm. "I'm sorry, I just… I need time, okay? To think. To breathe. Please, I'll be careful, I promise. I'm not going to do anything stupid."
His face twists, and the look in his eyes nearly stops me. It's raw, pained, like I've just ripped something vital out of him.
And maybe I have.
But if I stay here, if I keep staring into those eyes, I'm going to start believing every impossible thing he's said.
While he's distracted, still pleading with the sky, I bolt.
The storm slams into me immediately, soaking me to the skin. Cold water stings my face, mud sucking at my shoes as I sprint through the trees, lungs burning. I don't stop. Not until the glow of my house cuts through the curtain of rain.
Gods, I want it to be true. I want to believe him.
But what if it's not? What if all of this is just a story, a beautiful, insane story designed to make a girl fall for him?
Any normal girl would want to believe after hearing the way he talked about you—about centuries of love.
I could still feel his lips on mine. That kiss, oh my gods, it was more than just a kiss. It's the kind of kiss that catches fire in your chest and spreads everywhere, the kind that feels like it digs into your bones. A touch can't do that. Not even close. A kiss like that wakes something up in you. Something you didn't even know was there, or maybe something you tried to bury.
But that's all I can hold on to. The rest is blank, like my mind refuses to fill in anything beyond those eyes, those impossible blue eyes, staring at me, pleading with me not to go. To go with him. To believe him.
And I didn't. I couldn't.
Now I'm running, half-sliding, half-tripping my way toward my house. The rain is coming down so hard it's like running through a waterfall. Mud grabs at my shoes, pulling, and I nearly wipe out more than once. Stupid rain. Stupid storm.
For a second, I turn back toward the woods, and I think I hear something carried on the thunder—his voice, shouting through the chaos. I will make you believe.
Believe what? That I'm some ancient goddess's daughter? That he and I are… married? For centuries? That's insane. Completely insane.
No. Will's just another guy with a story. A dangerous, seductive story.
If he wanted me to believe in him, he could've asked me out for coffee, taken me to a movie, or bought me cheap flowers like a normal guy. But no, men always have some trick, some hidden angle. His is just more… elaborate. A story too big, too wild, meant to snare me before I even realize I'm caught.
And the worst part?
For one terrifying, ridiculous second… I almost want to believe him.
By the time I reached the lattice below my bedroom window, my face was a mess of hot, streaming tears. They burned tracks down my cheeks as I stood there, staring out at the woods like a fool. What was I even waiting for? For Will to come charging after me? To corner me until I believed him?
The storm lashed harder, rain stinging my skin, the cold gnawing into my bones. My hands curled into fists. My chest shook with anger.
Enough.
Enough of the storm. Enough of the noise. Enough of him.
The thought burned so sharp it hurt, and then, as if the world heard me, the storm faltered. The downpour thinned. The thunder stumbled to silence. The clouds peeled back slow and uneasy, and the moon broke free, spilling its pale light across the dripping branches.
For a moment, I felt it. Power. Like the storm had bent to me, obeyed me, and yielded to my will. It felt intoxicating, sharp, and electric, as if I had finally taken control of something greater than myself.
And then doubt crept in.
Did I do that? Or was it coincidence?
No one can know I can do this—not the academy, not even Shelby. Maybe that's because I'm not sure I really can.
I climbed the lattice as quietly as I could, every rung slick with rain, my muscles trembling from the effort. Pulling myself through my window, I hit the floor harder than I meant to, the sobs already tearing out of me. I curled up tight, knees to my chest, and let myself fall apart.
When the tears finally slowed, I sat up against the wall beneath the window, my chest aching. My head pressed back into the plaster like maybe it could hold me together. But my mind… my mind wouldn't stop.
Will's words replayed again and again, each one sharper and heavier, until it felt like my skull couldn't contain them. None of it made sense, but the more I tried to pick them apart, the worse it got.
If he was telling the truth, then my whole life was a lie.
But which parts?
Every memory I've ever had—are they mine, or were they planted, arranged by some goddess pulling strings? Did Clotho choose who I'd love, who I'd laugh with, and who I'd trust? Were my parents really my parents? Were my friends real, or just carefully placed pieces meant to keep me blind?
One memory cracked louder than the rest.
The lullaby.
The one my mother sang to me every single night before bed, as far back as I can remember. Back then it was soft and comforting—her voice tucking me into the world as much as the blankets did. Sweet words that made me feel safe, small, and loved.
The lyrics used to feel so simple, just a sweet way to fall asleep. But now, replaying them in my head, they didn't sound like comfort anymore. They sounded like directions. Like a gentle nudge I hadn't noticed before.
The little music box kept playing, its soft melody spilling into the room, delicate and steady, threading through the dark.
Sleep now, my darling, stars shine above,
Wrapped in the blanket of all that I love.
Close your sweet eyes, let the night softly keep,
Memories waiting will follow your sleep.
Hush now, my darling, morning will come,
Dreams keep you safe till the light of the sun.
Rest little heart, let the shadows grow small,
Love will remember, it carries it all.
When I was little, those words felt like a promise. Tonight, they felt like a warning.
What if it wasn't just a lullaby? What if it was meant to make me forget?
I glanced at the music box, my skin crawling, my chest hollow.
The music box kept playing.