Gazelle hesitated as she walked away from Ariel's glass cage, her gaze drifting to a nearby flower shop. For a heartbeat, she thought the white butterfly resting on a daisy had transformed into the flower itself. She blinked, shaking off the illusion, and looked at the florist.
Alice was unaware of Gazelle's presence. Her eyes were glued to Dante, watching him mournfully as he spoke to a sturdy man nearby. Gazelle frowned as she realized what the beautiful stranger was looking at.
"Love..." she whispered.
Alice couldn't take her eyes off him. It was a tragic, unrequited devotion, clear as day.
Surrounded by vibrant blooms, Alice seemed like a flower herself, fragile and beautiful. Gazelle watched her, fascinated. Butterflies circled above the pots, landing on Alice's golden hair and clothes, but the girl noticed nothing. She was lost in a trance.
"Beautiful flowers," Gazelle said suddenly. She wanted to pull Alice out of that daze. She knew too well how intoxicating and how blinding love could be.
Alice startled, her cheeks flushing pink as she finally noticed Gazelle. She smiled shyly. "Thank you." She pointed excitedly to the display. "Which one would you like?"
Gazelle averted her eyes, remembering her empty pockets. "Unfortunately, I don't have any money right now. Maybe another time." She paused, raising a hand in an awkward wave. "Good luck."
As she hurried away, Alice watched her go, confusion knitting her brows together.
"Weird..." Alice muttered, running her fingertips over a petal. "How do I know her?"
Gazelle moved deeper into the circus, searching every corner for Raven, but he was nowhere to be found. There was only one tent left. Hoping to find him there, she slipped inside and immediately froze at the wall of noise.
The tent was packed. People were shouting, cheering, screaming.
Thanks to her small frame, she slipped unnoticed through the press of bodies until she saw what everyone was watching: A ring fight.
Gazelle stared in shock. One fighter was a dark, massive man, sweat glistening over his tattoos. The other was covered head-to-toe in bandages, wearing only track pants, his face hidden except for his eyes.
Gazelle watched the brutality unfolding in the ring, but felt no excitement. Only disappointment. Raven wasn't here.
The crowd's roar reached a fever pitch, snapping her out of her thoughts. She grimaced as the tattooed man hit the floor, writhing in pain. Then, she looked up at the bandaged fighter.
He wasn't looking at his opponent. He was staring straight at her.
Gazelle swallowed hard, fear prickling her skin. It was time to go. Nothing in this world was going the way she planned.
"The dam has burst!"
The scream cut through the noise like a knife.
Silence fell over the tent for a split second. Then, chaos erupted.
People scrambled, shouting, pushing. Gazelle froze, her feet rooted to the spot. Panic locked her muscles. Someone grabbed her wrist, yanking her forward, but she shook her head, snapping back to reality.
She wrenched her arm free and ran away from the stranger, away from the tent.
She ran until her lungs burned, stopping only when she reached the flower shop. Alice was there, crying as she frantically loaded pots into an old pickup truck.
"My flowers…" she sobbed. "They'll die if I don't save them."
Gazelle cursed her own soft heart. Ignoring her instinct to flee, she rushed over and grabbed a bucket, helping Alice load the truck.
Alice looked surprised but didn't stop. They worked in silence until their hands brushed against the same flower bucket. Alice looked up, her eyes swimming with tears.
"I know you."
Gazelle didn't realize her hood had slipped back in the chaos. Alice smiled through her fear, pulling her hands away.
"I won't tell anyone," she said softly, lifting the last bucket onto the truck bed. "I promise."
Alice climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. She leaned out the window, her face pale. "I can drive you home."
Gazelle shook her head. "I can go myself. Thank you."
"The water is coming fast," Alice insisted, her voice trembling. "It'll be over your head in minutes. Are you sure?"
Gazelle wasn't sure. She didn't even know how to swim, but she couldn't trust a girl she had just met, even one with kind eyes.
Alice realized Gazelle wouldn't budge. She looked disappointed, but she forced a smile.
"I'm Alice. Nice to meet you. See you next time... Gazelle."
Gazelle flinched at the sound of her name.
Before she could respond, the roar of water drowned out everything else. The dam had fully breached.
People were running in blind panic. Vendors sobbed as they abandoned their stalls. The world was ending, and Gazelle was standing in the middle of it.
She wanted to run to the forest, to the safety of the hut, but her legs refused to move. She was sure Raven was here. She couldn't leave him.
When the water hit the circus, it didn't trickle; it surged.
Gazelle tried to turn, to run, but the flood rose with terrifying speed. Tall men might have stood a chance, but Gazelle was not tall.
Cold, dark water swirled around her waist, then her chest.
She struggled, kicking wildly as the current swept her off her feet. Don't panic, she thought. Stay still. But instinct took over. Water filled her mouth, choking her.
She was drowning. In water only inches deeper than her height, she was going to die.
Suddenly, strong arms grabbed her.
She didn't know who it was, but she didn't care. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, clinging to him like a lifeline as he pulled her above the surface.
She gasped, coughing up water, her lungs burning.
When she opened her eyes, the city lights had gone out. Darkness had swallowed the world, save for the swirling black water around them.
"I'm scared," Gazelle whispered, trembling against him.
Her heart beat so hard she thought it might explode.