Neve? Kazimir gazed into her eyes, his voice a tender murmur, barely rising above the relentless crash of ocean waves that wove a wild symphony around their shared silence. His fingers tightened around her arm, a desperate yet gentle anchor, as if he feared she might slip away into the tide. She leaned closer, her whisper trembling with curiosity and longing. "What is it, Neve? You've unraveled my story, but yours remains a mystery. Tell me." Her eyes, wide and shimmering like starlight on water, searched his face. "I'm a collapsing star, born from chaos and ruin. But you—what forged you? I need to know your past.
Neve's gaze faltered, a storm of doubt flickering in his shadowed eyes. "Are you sure?" she asked, her voice raw, heavy with the weight of secrets. "Once you know, you might see me differently—see the darkness I carry."
Her breath caught, but her resolve held firm. "I don't care," he said, his words fierce, unwavering. "Im already a disaster to entire civilizations. Whatever your truth, it's a mere whisper compared to the infamy of my name."
Neve's chest rose with a shuddering breath, her eyes locking onto his, brimming with a mix of fear and surrender. "Alright," she said, voice barely above a whisper, as if the words themselves were sacred. "Here's the whole story—every scar, every shadow."
The day had dawned with promise, the kind that wrapped a young girl's heart in ribbons of joy. Neve skipped through the sun-dappled streets of her neighborhood, her thirteenth birthday a crown upon her head. The world felt brighter, the birds' songs sweeter, as if the universe itself conspired to celebrate her step into teenagerhood. "Neve!" her mother's voice called from the kitchen, warm and inviting, laced with the scent of fresh-baked bread.
"Yes, Mom?" Neve responded, bounding into the room, her pigtails bouncing with each step.
Her mother, Natasha, turned with a smile that lit the room, her eyes sparkling with maternal pride. "It's time for you to head to school. Make sure you're ready—it's your day today, November 12th. You're officially thirteen, a teenager now!" She pulled Neve into a hug, the embrace filled with the familiar scent of lavender and home.
Neve beamed, her cheeks flushing with excitement. "Yep! I'm one of the cool kids now—a teenager! Heheee!"
Natasha laughed, a sound like tinkling bells, ruffling her daughter's hair. "Now go on, have a good day at school. I'll see you when you're back."
Neve waved, her heart light as a feather. "Okay, Mom! See you and Daddy when I get back!" Her parents waved from the doorway, their smiles wide. "We'll have a surprise for you when you get home, honey. Bye—have a great day!"
Or so I thought, Neve's voice echoed in retrospect, a haunting whisper over the memory. Because what happened that day changed my life forever.
The school day was a whirlwind of laughter and cake, friends singing off-key birthday tunes, and teachers slipping her extra treats. Neve floated home on a cloud of happiness, her mind buzzing with stories to share. "Today was the best day of my life," she thought, skipping up the path to her house. "I can't wait to tell Mom and Dad all about it!"
But as she neared the door, muffled shouts pierced the air—her mother's voice, sharp with anger. "What are you saying, Darrel? You mean to tell me you still haven't paid off that debt?"
Neve froze, her hand hovering over the doorknob, the joy draining from her face like water from a cracked vase. Her father's voice responded, strained and defensive. "Natasha, how am I supposed to pay off the debt? I told them I needed more time."
"DARREL!" her mother screamed, the sound raw and desperate. "IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS, AND I TOLD YOU NOT TO TRUST THAT GANG! YOU BORROWED MONEY FROM A GANG, AND NOW YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR FAMILY AT RISK BECAUSE YOU FAILED TO PAY THEM BACK? Tell me where you've been putting the money from your work—what are you doing with it?"
Neve's heart pounded, a cold dread seeping into her chest. She pressed her ear against the door, her breath shallow.
"Natasha, I—" her father stammered.
"YOU WHAT!" her mother cut him off, her voice breaking. "You've been using it all on drugs and these people keep asking for their money, and you kept telling them you will pay, you will pay them! Now look at you—they checked you, and now you have one day to spit up the money that we don't have!"
Neve's world tilted, the happy day crumbling like ash. My parents are fighting… on my birthday. She pushed the door open, her voice small. "Mom, what's wrong?"
Natasha's head snapped toward her, her face pale with fury and fear. "Nothing. Just go upstairs to your room and don't come out. Me and your dad are having a serious conversation right now."
Neve hesitated, her eyes darting between her parents, the tension thick as fog. "Alright, Mom." She climbed the stairs, her footsteps heavy, the joy of the day evaporating like mist in the sun.
An hour later, the sound of a car engine rumbled through the driveway. Neve, peeking from her window, saw four shadowy figures approach the door. A knock—then chaos. The door burst open, and her father was dragged inside by rough hands. Screams echoed—her mother's voice piercing the air like a knife. "What do you mean? You mean to tell me that you still haven't paid off that debt? You had—?"
The intruders' voices snarled, one shouting, "YOU DUMB FUCKING ELVES WHERE OUR MONEY AT, BOY? WE HELPED YOU OUT, AND YOU SAID YOU GONNA PAY IT BACK! THREE YEARS NOW, AND WE DIDN'T GET SHIT BACK!"
Neve crept to the stairs, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest, peering down. Her father was pinned, beaten mercilessly, blood smearing the floor. Two men grabbed her mother, throwing her onto the table, positioning her legs. Natasha screamed, struggling, "Stop! This is wrong—I didn't consent! DARREL, GET UP, HELP MEE!! STOPP, PLEASE HELPPP!"
One taped her mouth shut, the muffled cries a horrifying sound that clawed at Neve's soul. Neve's eyes widened in terror as she realized they had used a spell to disable projection energy. Her mother fought, but the men punched her, turning her on all fours, forcing themselves upon her. Neve's world shattered, the sight searing into her mind like a brand—her mother's eyes, wide with horror, her body violated in the place that had always been safe.
Darrel begged, his voice broken. "Please stop! Don't touch my daughter!"
The leader sneered. "Or what? You can't do shit. You got a debt to pay—so we'll do what we want till it's matched."
Darrel rose, swinging wildly at the men, but a knife drove through his spine, another slitting his throat. Blood sprayed, his body slumping as Natasha watched, her muffled screams turning to sobs. Neve burst from her room, descending the stairs in a panic, her eyes locking on the nightmare—her father's lifeless body, her mother's throat slit in a final, merciless stroke.
The men turned, spotting her. Neve ran, her heart pounding in terror, locking herself in her room and leaping through the window, her small frame crashing into the bushes below. She fled into the night, tears streaming, the screams and blood etched forever in her memory, the day of joy twisted into an abyss of loss and horror.
The day had dawned with promise, the kind that wrapped a young girl's heart in ribbons of joy. Neve skipped through the sun-dappled streets of her neighborhood, her thirteenth birthday a crown upon her head. The world felt brighter, the birds' songs sweeter, as if the universe itself conspired to celebrate her step into teenagerhood. "Neve!" her mother's voice called from the kitchen, warm and inviting, laced with the scent of fresh-baked bread.
"Yes, Mom?" Neve responded, bounding into the room, her pigtails bouncing with each step.
Her mother, Natasha, turned with a smile that lit the room, her eyes sparkling with maternal pride. "It's time for you to head to school. Make sure you're ready—it's your day today, November 12th. You're officially thirteen, a teenager now!" She pulled Neve into a hug, the embrace filled with the familiar scent of lavender and home.
Neve beamed, her cheeks flushing with excitement. "Yep! I'm one of the cool kids now—a teenager! Heheee!"
Natasha laughed, a sound like tinkling bells, ruffling her daughter's hair. "Now go on, have a good day at school. I'll see you when you're back."
Neve waved, her heart light as a feather. "Okay, Mom! See you and Daddy when I get back!" Her parents waved from the doorway, their smiles wide. "We'll have a surprise for you when you get home, honey. Bye—have a great day!"
Or so I thought, Neve's voice echoed in retrospect, a haunting whisper over the memory. Because what happened that day changed my life forever.
The school day was a whirlwind of laughter and cake, friends singing off-key birthday tunes, and teachers slipping her extra treats. Neve floated home on a cloud of happiness, her mind buzzing with stories to share. "Today was the best day of my life," she thought, skipping up the path to her house. "I can't wait to tell Mom and Dad all about it!"
But as she neared the door, muffled shouts pierced the air—her mother's voice, sharp with anger. "What are you saying, Darrel? You mean to tell me you still haven't paid off that debt?"
Neve froze, her hand hovering over the doorknob, the joy draining from her face like water from a cracked vase. Her father's voice responded, strained and defensive. "Natasha, how am I supposed to pay off the debt? I told them I needed more time."
"DARREL!" her mother screamed, the sound raw and desperate. "IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS, AND I TOLD YOU NOT TO TRUST THAT GANG! YOU BORROWED MONEY FROM A GANG, AND NOW YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR FAMILY AT RISK BECAUSE YOU FAILED TO PAY THEM BACK? Tell me where you've been putting the money from your work—what are you doing with it?"
Neve's heart pounded, a cold dread seeping into her chest. She pressed her ear against the door, her breath shallow.
"Natasha, I—" her father stammered.
"YOU WHAT!" her mother cut him off, her voice breaking. "You've been using it all on drugs and these people keep asking for their money, and you kept telling them you will pay, you will pay them! Now look at you—they checked you, and now you have one day to spit up the money that we don't have!"
Neve's world tilted, the happy day crumbling like ash. My parents are fighting… on my birthday. She pushed the door open, her voice small. "Mom, what's wrong?"
Natasha's head snapped toward her, her face pale with fury and fear. "Nothing. Just go upstairs to your room and don't come out. Me and your dad are having a serious conversation right now."
Neve hesitated, her eyes darting between her parents, the tension thick as fog. "Alright, Mom." She climbed the stairs, her footsteps heavy, the joy of the day evaporating like mist in the sun.
An hour later, the sound of a car engine rumbled through the driveway. Neve, peeking from her window, saw four shadowy figures approach the door. A knock—then chaos. The door burst open, and her father was dragged inside by rough hands. Screams echoed—her mother's voice piercing the air like a knife. "What do you mean? You mean to tell me that you still haven't paid off that debt? You had—?"
The intruders' voices snarled, one shouting, "YOU DUMB FUCKING ELVES WHERE OUR MONEY AT, BOY? WE HELPED YOU OUT, AND YOU SAID YOU GONNA PAY IT BACK! THREE YEARS NOW, AND WE DIDN'T GET SHIT BACK!"
Neve crept to the stairs, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest, peering down. Her father was pinned, beaten mercilessly, blood smearing the floor. Two men grabbed her mother, throwing her onto the table, positioning her legs. Natasha screamed, struggling, "Stop! This is wrong—I didn't consent! DARREL, GET UP, HELP MEE!! STOPP, PLEASE HELPPP!"
One taped her mouth shut, the muffled cries a horrifying sound that clawed at Neve's soul. Neve's eyes widened in terror as she realized they had used a spell to disable projection energy. Her mother fought, but the men punched her, turning her on all fours, forcing themselves upon her. Neve's world shattered, the sight searing into her mind like a brand—her mother's eyes, wide with horror, her body violated in the place that had always been safe.
Darrel begged, his voice broken. "Please stop! Don't touch my daughter!"
The leader sneered. "Or what? You can't do shit. You got a debt to pay—so we'll do what we want till it's matched."
Darrel rose, swinging wildly at the men, but a knife drove through his spine, another slitting his throat. Blood sprayed, his body slumping as Natasha watched, her muffled screams turning to sobs. Neve burst from her room, descending the stairs in a panic, her eyes locking on the nightmare—her father's lifeless body, her mother's throat slit in a final, merciless stroke.
The men turned, spotting her. Neve ran, her heart pounding in terror, locking herself in her room and leaping through the window, her small frame crashing into the bushes below. She fled into the night, tears streaming, the screams and blood etched forever in her memory, the day of joy twisted into an abyss of loss and horror.