The rain did not stop that day.
It fell steadily, drenching the cobblestones, turning puddles into mirrors that reflected the gray sky.
Elowen Aris Vale wrapped her coat tighter around herself, pulling her scarf higher, though it barely kept the chill at bay.
Her mind, however, was colder than the weather.
Selaris Veyra had not left her thoughts.
Even after disappearing into the crowd, his gaze lingered.
Something about him unsettled her in a way she couldn't explain—a sense that his arrival had disturbed the very air she breathed.
Who is he? she wondered, her fingers brushing the edge of her coat.
Why does it feel like he knows me already?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Elowen."
Kaelen Thorne stepped from the shadow of the bakery awning, water dripping from his coat.
He offered her a smile that was half teasing, half concern.
"You look like you're about to vanish into the storm."
"I'm fine," Elowen said, though her voice lacked conviction.
Kaelen studied her carefully.
He could always read her, even when she tried to hide it.
"You're not," he said softly. "Something about today… it's different."
She shook her head.
"It's just rain. That's all."
But Kaelen was unconvinced.
He had seen the way she looked at Selaris, the way her posture shifted in the presence of someone new.
A spark of protectiveness ignited within him—a feeling he didn't like but could not ignore.
Meanwhile, Mirelle Cade was already pacing near the fountain in the town square.
Her hands fidgeted with the straps of her bag, a nervous energy bubbling beneath her confident exterior.
She had overheard a conversation earlier in the café—something she should not have known.
A secret that, if revealed, could shatter more than one life.
She cursed under her breath.
Why did I even listen?
The truth was that Mirelle had always felt responsible for those around her, perhaps too responsible.
She had learned to carry burdens for others, often sacrificing her own peace.
But now, the weight of secrets was suffocating her, and the storm outside mirrored the turmoil within.
Selaris returned that evening, finding Elowen alone in the library.
The air smelled of wet pages and ink.
He moved silently between the aisles, his presence both magnetic and unnerving.
"Elowen," he said softly, as if speaking her name aloud had power.
She turned, startled.
"How did you—"
"Does it matter?" Selaris interrupted, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Some things are meant to be noticed, even if you don't want them to be."
Elowen's heart pounded.
She tried to measure the words, to understand their meaning.
But Selaris's gaze seemed to strip away her defenses, leaving only raw awareness.
Kaelen entered then, moving quickly to stand beside her.
His jaw was tense, eyes flicking between Elowen and Selaris.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice sharper than intended.
Selaris did not flinch.
"I came to see her," he said simply.
"Is that so wrong?"
Kaelen's hands clenched at his sides.
"Yes. It is. You don't know her. You don't understand—"
"Then teach me," Selaris replied, calm yet unyielding.
"Or step aside."
Elowen felt caught between them, her chest tight.
Kaelen had always been her protector, the one who knew her history, the one who carried the weight of her past alongside her. But Selaris… Selaris brought a storm she could not ignore.
Elowen:
Why does his presence feel like both danger and home?
Why does Kaelen's anger hurt me more than his words ever have?
And why do I feel like the rain knows what I cannot say?
The storm outside pressed against the windows as though it too was waiting for an answer she did not have.