The rain had returned in torrents, relentless and unforgiving, as though the sky itself was aware of the truths about to surface.
Elowen Aris Vale sat in the library, her hands pressed against the wooden table, eyes fixed on the storm outside.
The sound of water against glass was almost soothing, a rhythm she clung to while her heart raced.
Selaris Veyra entered silently, dripping from the rain.
His dark coat clung to his frame, hair damp and slicked against his forehead.
When he saw her, the faintest smile curved his lips, though his eyes were serious—haunted, even.
"Elowen," he began, his voice low, "there's something you should know."
Her heart skipped.
"What is it?"
Selaris hesitated, as if weighing the right words.
"I didn't come to Veyndra by accident. I have… connections here. Things from my past I need to confront. Things that… affect you, whether you know it or not."
Elowen's chest tightened.
She had felt from the first moment he arrived that he carried storms inside him—storms she could not yet understand.
"You're scaring me," she admitted.
Selaris shook his head.
"I don't mean to. But hiding the truth will hurt more than revealing it. You deserve to know, even if it changes everything."
Outside, Kaelen Thorne approached the library, the rain soaking through his coat.
He had sensed something in the air—a shift, a warning.
He entered quietly, his eyes immediately locking onto Selaris.
"What's going on?" Kaelen demanded, voice edged with tension.
Selaris looked at him without fear.
"I'm being honest with her. Something you've never managed to do."
Kaelen's jaw tightened.
"Don't think this gives you the right to interfere in her life."
Elowen's voice stopped them both. "Enough," she said quietly, but with authority that belied her soft frame.
"I need to hear this. Both of you—please, just… stop fighting for a moment."
The room fell silent.
Only the rain remained, a soft drum against the windows, as if the storm itself was holding its breath.
Meanwhile, Mirelle Cade sat across town, staring at a letter she had intercepted days ago.
The envelope was yellowed at the edges, sealed with a wax insignia that seemed familiar.
Her hands shook as she unfolded it, reading the words she was never meant to see:
"Elowen's family is connected to events you do not yet understand. The Vale name carries burdens that must remain hidden."
Her mind raced.
She had kept this secret to protect Elowen, but now the truth threatened to burst through every fragile relationship.
If I reveal this… everything could fall apart.
Mirelle's gaze moved to the rain streaking her window.
But if I stay silent… someone could get hurt.
Back at the library, Selaris began to speak. "Elowen, I was part of something… something your family was connected to.
I tried to forget it, but I couldn't.
And now it's here, in this town, and it's reaching for you.
I came to warn you, not to scare you."
Elowen's fingers trembled on the table. "Why… why does it feel like everything I've known has been a lie?"
Selaris's eyes softened.
"Because part of it has been. But knowing the truth gives you a choice. You can face it, or let it define you from the shadows."
Kaelen's face darkened. "
And what about me?
Do I get a say?
Or is this about him pulling her into some danger she doesn't understand?"
Selaris's lips curved slightly.
"Your concern is noted, Thorne, but I do not make choices for her. She does."
Elowen's chest ached.
The rain, the confrontation, the secrets—it was too much and yet, not enough.
She realized that in her life, everyone carried shadows.
Kaelen with his guilt, Selaris with his past, Mirelle with her secret, and even she herself with memories she could not speak aloud.
Elowen:
I am surrounded by shadows…
Shadows that hide love, fear, and secrets I cannot yet name.
I do not know which one will break me first, or which will teach me to survive.
And somehow, I know that surviving alone will never be enough.