The wind around the ridge paused, leaving a stillness that seemed to hold its breath. Niah's fingers brushed against the pendant once more, and the world spun as if she had fallen into a dream that had been waiting just for her. The air thickened and shimmered, altering its nature.
The forest whispered secrets that dusk had no right to carry.
Esme wandered deeper, her bare feet brushing against moss and fallen petals. The air was thick with the scent of blooming nightshade and silver fern, and something, something she couldn't name, tugged at her soul.
There was a longing. Then, she saw it.
A lake, hidden like a secret the world didn't want to share. Moonlight shimmered across its surface, but the sky above churned; a storm was coming. The clouds swelled, a dark violet bruising the horizon, but it didn't scare her. The air was electric and alive.
Drawn in without question, Esme stepped to the edge and slipped into the water, her gown falling away like mist. The lake wrapped around her like memory, cool and velvet-smooth, embracing every inch of her skin as she dipped beneath the surface.
It felt like being reborn.
Floating there, her eyes closed, she surrendered to the water that wove through her hair and down her body. For those precious moments, she shed all burdens with no name, only the feel of water and the distant rumble of thunder.
Then, the ripples disturbed the calm. She blinked, curiosity furrowing her brow as she turned, searching the water. The forest held its breath, a hush settling over the trees. She scanned the shadows but found nothing.
Again, movement whispered beneath the surface.
She dove, cutting through the water, seeking something… or someone. But there was only silence. When she surfaced again, her breath rising in soft pants, she turned.
On the opposite shore, he stood, watching intently. Her breath caught in her throat.
He seemed crafted from storm clouds and midnight. His long, dark hair, damp from the rain, clung to him. His eyes, deep and knowing, were the kind that not only saw you but remembered you.
Their eyes met across the rippling water, and time seemed to unravel. Her body trembled, responding to something ancient and profound.
Water dripped from her face, tracing slow paths down her cheeks, along her jaw, to the hollow of her throat. Yet, she did not feel exposed. His gaze held reverence, not hunger.
He moved, stepping slowly into the shallows, the lake licking at his boots. Esme remained still, unable to move.
He approached, deliberate as moonrise, his eyes steady on hers. When he stood before her, close enough to see the silver flecks in his irises, he reached out.
He leaned in, his lips brushing just beside her mouth… and then, lower. A soft lick, a single drop of water drawn from the curve of her cheek. His breath mingled with hers, slow and heavy, charged.
Esme's eyes fluttered.
He lifted his head again, staring down at her like he already knew every life she'd lived.
And then—Rain.
A gentle, endless rain fell, as if the sky itself sighed at their union. Esme shivered, her lips parting, her voice barely a whisper, "Rain…"
His name emerged like a prayer, as if she had waited lifetimes to speak it. The storm answered with a soft roll of thunder.
Rain's jaw tightened. His eyes closed briefly, as though her voice had opened something deep within him.
"I was always yours," he murmured. "Even before the world had a name for us."
They stood there, enveloped by the falling sky and the lake's gentle rhythm. There was no kiss, no touch between them, just the profound closeness of two ancient souls finding their way home.
* * *
Niah's eyes snapped open. She drew a sharp breath, and for a moment, everything—sound, motion, time had vanished. The room quivered around her, soft light dancing on the walls. Her irises flickered briefly, a pulse of ancient gold behind the brown. And beneath her skin, something had stirred awake.
* * *