The rain fell harder than ever, drumming against the rooftops like a relentless heartbeat.
Veyndra's streets glistened with reflections of lamp light, blurred and trembling in puddles that stretched along the cobblestones.
Elowen Aris Vale walked through the storm, her coat clinging to her frame, boots splashing through shallow water.
Her chest was tight—not from the cold, but from the weight of unspoken words pressing against her heart.
She stopped at the bridge overlooking the river, the current swift and dark.
She had come here often, alone, to think, to let the sound of water soothe the chaos inside.
But today, the chaos was not her own.
Kaelen Thorne appeared from the mist, his coat damp, hair plastered to his forehead. He approached slowly, hesitant, as if afraid that any wrong word could shatter her further.
"Elowen," he said softly, voice nearly lost in the storm. "I—"
"Don't," she interrupted gently.
"Not yet."
Kaelen swallowed.
His gaze lingered on her face, searching for a clue, a sign, anything to guide him. "I've been selfish," he admitted finally.
"I thought keeping you close, keeping you safe… I thought I could protect you from everything.
But I ended up hurting you more than anyone else ever could."
Her hands trembled slightly.
"Kaelen… you always carry the past like it's a weight only you can feel. But it touches me too, whether you mean it or not."
He closed his eyes, the rain dripping from his eyelashes.
"I never stopped… caring. Even when I tried to push you away. Even when I let you look elsewhere for comfort…"
Elowen's chest tightened.
She wanted to speak, to say that she understood, but before the words could form, the sound of another voice reached them.
Selaris Veyra stepped out from the shadows under the bridge, his umbrella useless against the downpour.
He was soaked, but he didn't flinch.
"You think this is about confessions, Kaelen?" he asked quietly.
"It's about honesty. And if you truly care, you'll stop hiding behind guilt and fear."
Kaelen turned sharply, tension radiating from him.
"And you? What do you want, Selaris? To drag her into a world she doesn't belong to?"
Selaris's eyes softened as they fell on Elowen.
"I want her to know the truth… to choose for herself, not be trapped by shadows like you've let her be."
Elowen took a step forward.
"Stop it," she said firmly.
"Both of you. I am not a prize to fight over. I am… me. And I deserve to hear the truth from everyone, yes—but also to make my own choices."
For a long moment, silence fell, broken only by the rain and the distant roar of the river. Each of them was forced to face the storm within themselves.
Meanwhile, Mirelle Cade watched from a distance, her secret heavy in her chest.
She had followed them without their knowledge, afraid of what would happen if she revealed the letter too soon.
But she realized she could not remain a passive observer any longer.
Her fingers trembled on the envelope in her coat pocket.
If I tell them now… it could destroy everything.
If I wait… it could destroy someone.
Tears mingled with the rain on her cheeks as she made her choice.
The night deepened, and the rain softened to a steady drizzle.
Elowen sat on the bridge alone, letting the water wash over her boots, her mind replaying the confessions, the tension, the truths half-spoken.
She realized that no one could save her from her own heart—only she could navigate the storm of emotions swirling around her.
Elowen:
The rain is patient. It waits, it falls, it cleanses, it reveals.
And so must I.
I cannot hide from Kaelen, nor can I ignore Selaris, nor can I deny Mirelle's warning. I must face the storm, even if it breaks me.
Because in the end, the rain forgets nothing, and neither can I.