the rain of secrets

Kaira's body felt weightless, drifting between the pull of the current and the grip of something far stronger. The water churned around her, a cold and merciless force dragging her deeper, yet she no longer fought against it.

Not when she could see her.

The woman's face was distorted by the rippling water, but the features were unmistakable—soft yet sharp, framed by long, flowing hair that moved like ink in the current.

Her mother.

Impossible.

Yet, there she was, her hand reaching, fingers just inches away.

Kaira tried to call out, but her lungs burned with water, her voice stolen by the river. Her limbs were heavy, her mind clouded with the weight of what she was seeing.

Is this real? Or am I drowning in ghosts?

Then—strong arms wrapped around her, yanking her upward.

Kaira's head broke the surface with a desperate gasp. The night air was sharp against her face, her lungs clawing for breath. The river still tossed her like a ragdoll, but Adrian was there, gripping her tightly.

"Stay with me!" he shouted over the roar of the current. "Kaira, hold on!"

The world spun. The river crashed and tumbled them forward, carrying them with ruthless force. Somewhere behind them, Alyssa's voice rang out, but it was drowned by the chaos.

Kaira coughed violently, her vision flickering. She turned her head, searching the water, but the figure—the woman—was gone.

Had she imagined it?

No.

She was there.

The river twisted, slamming Kaira and Adrian against jagged rocks. Pain lanced through her side, but there was no time to feel it. A fallen tree loomed ahead, half-submerged, its branches reaching like skeletal fingers.

Adrian kicked toward it. "Grab on!"

Kaira forced her aching limbs to move. The moment her fingers found the rough bark, she clung to it with every ounce of strength left in her body. Adrian pulled himself up beside her, his chest rising and falling in sharp, heavy breaths.

Alyssa appeared seconds later, gripping another branch a few feet away. Her dark clothing clung to her frame, water dripping from her face as she surveyed their surroundings.

"We can't stay here," she said, her voice steady despite the situation. "They'll be looking for us downstream."

Kaira's mind was still spinning. The water, the voice, the face beneath the surface—none of it made sense.

"I saw her," she whispered, her throat raw.

Adrian turned to her. "Saw who?"

Kaira swallowed, her grip tightening on the branch. "My mother. She was there—in the river. She reached for me."

Alyssa's face barely changed, but there was something in her eyes—something she was hiding.

Adrian shook his head. "Kaira, you almost drowned. The mind plays tricks when you're deprived of oxygen."

"No." Her voice was firm. "I know what I saw."

Silence stretched between them, the weight of her words settling.

Then, Alyssa spoke.

"You weren't supposed to remember."

Kaira's heart skipped a beat. "What?"

Alyssa hesitated, then let out a slow breath. "Your mother didn't die the way you were told. And if you saw her tonight, it means she's close."

Kaira's pulse pounded. "She's alive?"

Alyssa didn't answer right away. Instead, she looked up at the dark forest surrounding them. The shadows stretched long, the trees swaying as if whispering secrets between their branches.

Then—faint movement.

A rustle in the undergrowth.

They weren't alone.

Adrian pulled his knife from his belt, his eyes sharp. Alyssa reached for her gun, though it was likely useless after the plunge into the river.

Kaira's body tensed, the memory of being hunted still fresh in her mind.

From the darkness, a voice emerged.

Low. Measured. Familiar.

"You've strayed too far, Kaira."

Her blood ran cold.

A tall figure stepped into the moonlight.

A man she thought she'd never see again.

Her father's closest confidant.

A man who had vanished the same night her world fell apart.

Gabriel Vaughn.

And in his hand—dangling from his fingers like a lure—was something that made Kaira's breath catch in her throat.

A pendant.

Small, silver, unmistakable.

Her mother's.

Gabriel's gaze met hers.

"It's time you learned the truth."