"Evadne, open your eyes," came Uriel's soft, lilting voice.
Evadne's eyes fluttered open. She was back in the therapy room.
Uriel handed her a box of tissues. Only then did she realize she'd been crying. Her cheeks were damp, her lashes clumped.
"Take your time to compose yourself," the angel said kindly, passing her a cold glass of water. Evadne took it with trembling hands and drank, hiccupping slightly between gulps. "I know it was very hard for you to see that clearly. But honestly, Evadne? You did well for a first session."
Uriel smiled, warm and proud. Then she leaned in just enough to whisper, "Better than your parents, actually, they've been struggling more watching you from outside."
Once Evadne felt steady enough, the two stepped out of the therapy room.
Uriel was once again the dignified, middle-aged doctor. The change didn't surprise Evadne this time, but what did surprise her was the sight of her mother.
Cielo rushed toward her, tears streaming freely, and wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter.
"Are you okay, hon?" Cielo whispered, voice shaking.
"I'm okay, Mommy. Daddy." Evadne offered a small smile as Romos joined the embrace. "Actually… I feel lighter." She gently wiped her mother's tears with her thumb. "You, on the other hand, look like you've had it worse than I did in there."
She tried to laugh a little, to soften the heaviness in the room.
Cielo just hugged her tighter.
"You all did well today," Uriel said once they were seated back on the reception couch. "Most families I work with would have barged into that room during the first session. But you didn't. That tells me something very important, no matter how hard it was to watch her struggle, you were willing to give her the space she needed."
Uriel turned to Romos and Cielo, her gaze unwavering. "You understand now… no matter how much you want to fight her nightmares for her, only she can face them. But your trust gives her strength."
"Thank you, Doctor," Romos said, his voice low but steady.
"Our next session will be next month," Uriel continued. "Until then, expect a few days, or hopefully weeks, of peaceful sleep. But remember what I told you, we're not forcing her brain to forget. There's a chance the nightmares may return before our next session. It will be hard. But now I know she can face them. She proved that today."
Uriel stood and walked over to a nearby shelf, retrieving a basket filled with delicately wrapped candles.
'This will help you with your ability, to focus through the noise,' she said directly into Evadne's mind.
"This," Uriel announced aloud, "is for meditation. Thirty minutes a day before bed. The ingredients are all natural. They'll help calm your mind. They're a hundred dollars each."
Evadne choked. "One hundred dollars? For a candle? That's daylight robbery with a lavender scent!"
"You're not required to buy it," Uriel said, raising a perfectly arched brow. "But I can guarantee it will make a significant difference in your meditation."
"We'll take a month's supply," Romos interjected before Evadne could protest again.
Uriel smiled as if she had expected nothing less. "Excellent decision, Mr. Monteverde. The set comes in various scents, lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus, sage, and rosewood. My secretary will prepare ten pieces today. The remaining twenty will be delivered to your residence. Shipping is complimentary."
Evadne looked at the basket, then at Uriel, muttering under her breath with a sigh,
"What a scamming angel."
"Excuse me? I'm trying to earn a living here," Uriel replied dryly, though her eyes still sparkled kindly.
"And remember, there will be times when facing your nightmares feels unbearable. But I can see you have a strong support system. Even if you can't tell them exactly what you see… let them lend you strength when you need it. Don't pretend to be okay when you're not. It's okay not to be okay."
Her voice softened. "And always remember, how your nightmares affect your life is, and will always be, up to you."
After a few more parting reminders from the doctor, they finally left the clinic.
Inside the limousine, Evadne flipped through the envelope of notes and receipts given to her parents. Then she froze.
"Oh my god. Mommy. Daddy. Have you seen her receipt?" she gasped, holding it up. "$1,000 per hour?! I still don't know if she's a doctor or a licensed criminal!"
Romos and Cielo both laughed.
"Let it go, hon," Romos said, still chuckling. "Money's not the issue. What matters is that she's good, and that she can help you. Even if she charges a million per hour, I'll pay it. No questions asked."
That evening, after a warm shower and some light reading, Evadne decided to begin her 30-minute meditation. She pulled a candle from the basket, only then noticing the slim white card nestled beneath.
Steps for Meditation, it read in gold ink.
She flipped it open.
One. Set a 30-minute alarm. Do not exhaust your mind.
Two. Close your eyes and listen to every thought you hear around you. Don't push them away.
Three. For each person whose thoughts you hear, assign a shape or object in a distinct color.
Four. One by one, capture the objects. Keep going until you've captured them all.
Remember, the first attempt doesn't need to be a success. This is a process. It will take time.
Good luck, Evadne. – Uriel
Evadne chuckled softly. "Still a scamming angel," she whispered with a smile, then did exactly as the card instructed.
Eyes closed, she visualized the floating thoughts around her as colored balls, each one linked to a different person. She tried to grab the first. It slipped away. She tried again. Another drifted out of reach. She continued, brow furrowed, focusing harder.
But before she realized it, her alarm rang. Thirty minutes, gone in a blink. And not a single ball captured.
Still, she didn't feel discouraged. "First time doesn't need to be a success," she reminded herself, and began preparing for bed.
And true to Uriel's promise, despite the overcharged consultation fee, Evadne slept peacefully.
No nightmares.
No screaming.
Just darkness… and rest.
She woke up feeling light, refreshed, and fully rested. A rare luxury.
During breakfast, she raised an eyebrow at her parents, both of whom looked like they hadn't slept a wink.
"Did you two even sleep?" she asked, suspicious. "You look exhausted."
Cielo blinked and quickly smiled. "Don't mind us, hon. Daddy had some business matters last night that I helped him sort out. Nothing serious."
But of course, Evadne heard the truth echoing clearly in her mind, they hadn't slept because they'd been checking on her all night, worried she might scream or thrash in her dreams again.
She didn't push it.
She simply smiled, nodded, and let it go.
"Anyway, your godparents invited us for dinner tonight at the Falcon Estate. Just wanted to inform you ahead of time, in case you have other plans," Romos said casually over breakfast.
Evadne nodded without looking up from her food. It's not like she had anywhere to go, she didn't really know anyone here yet.
Well, technically she did. But they probably didn't like her.
And frankly, the feeling was mutual.
Except… there was Casadin.
But since the welcome party three days ago, she hadn't seen him again. It was mildly disappointing, not that she'd admit that to anyone, especially not to herself.
With nothing else to do before dinner, Evadne decided to spend her afternoon lounging in the pool.
Wearing a black two-piece swimwear, she lay on a white unicorn float, sunbathing while attempting another mock meditation. She closed her eyes and tried to recreate the visualization exercise from the night before. Welcoming every thought she could hear, trying to assign colors, shapes, just like Uriel taught her.
But it wasn't working.
Maybe it was the lack of focus. Or maybe it was because she didn't light one of those overpriced candles.
And then…
'Fuck. This is going to be my new phone and laptop wallpaper. And I am definitely going to masturbate looking at this picture tonight.'
The thought shot through her mind like a lightning bolt, and she didn't even flinch. She knew exactly whose thought that was.
She cracked one eye open, and yep, there he was.
Casadin.
Standing at the edge of the pool, holding up his phone like he wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was taking a photo of her.
Evadne sat up lazily on her float, pulled down her shades, and gave him a sharp look.
"I was going to say 'take a picture, it lasts longer,' but I'm pretty sure you already did."
Casadin grinned unrepentantly. "Princess, I'm a boy scout. I came prepared. Took a video, too. Better than pictures."
She rolled her eyes.
"And what are you doing here, anyway?" she asked, still half-lounging on her float.
"I missed you, Princess. That's why I'm here." He winked.
She made a face. "Really? You were MIA for two days."
"I got admitted to the hospital," he said, suddenly serious.
"What?" she sat up straighter, genuine concern flickering in her voice. "What happened?"
"You bit me, remember?" he said, suppressing a grin. "It got infected. I almost turned into a zombie."
"Asshole. I was really worried for a second there." She glared at him.
"Aww… did you miss me too?" Casadin grinned as he took off his shoes and socks, rolling up his pants before dipping his legs in the water.
"But seriously," he added, his voice softening, "I went out of state to see a friend. He got accused of sexual harassment by a girl and got thrown in jail. Went to bail him out since his parents refused to."
"They didn't believe him?" Evadne asked, voice gentle. No judgment. Just curiosity.
"Nope. They believed the girl. But I don't." He looked out over the water, jaw tightening. "I know Flynn. People think he's a mess, rebellious, no direction, but he wouldn't do something like that."
There was a pause.
"Besides… he likes boys."
The confession came easily, almost too easily.
And Casadin realized it the moment the words left his mouth. He wasn't used to sharing like that. Not anymore. Not since Hades betrayed their brotherhood, their years of friendship. But with Evadne…
It just slipped out.
Strange. Disarming.
He glanced at her, expecting some awkward chuckle, a flinch, maybe even a probing stare.
Instead, she smiled. Genuine. Warm.
"Your friend's lucky to have someone like you," she said softly.
"I know, right? That's how amazing I am," Casadin replied with a cocky grin.
Evadne splashed water in his face without warning.
"I was being serious," she scolded, though she couldn't hide her grin.
"Don't wish for me to get serious, Princess. You wouldn't survive it," Casadin teased, waggling his eyebrows. "You might just fall for me. You'd probably lose your panties over how perfect I am."
"You're so full of yourself." Evadne laughed, splashing him again. "Where is all this delusion coming from?"
"I may be full of it, but at least I've got something to be proud of," he retorted before returning the splash and diving underwater.
Before she could react, he flipped her float, sending her tumbling into the water with a surprised shriek.
They surfaced together, laughing, droplets glinting on their skin under the sun.
"I actually came here because I realized you never asked for my number," Casadin said after their playful chaos had settled. Evadne was now clinging to his back like a lazy mermaid, her arms draped over his shoulders as he stood in the center of the pool.
"Gross. Why would I ask for your number?" she said, squeezing his cheeks hard with her fingers, making him laugh.
"Please. Just admit it. You wanted it. You were probably too shy to ask my mom," he teased.
"If anything, you were the one who wanted my number," she shot back. "Too bad, I don't even have a phone right now."
Casadin blinked, caught off guard. "What? Why?"
"I threw it away," Evadne said flatly. "Realized I didn't need anyone in my contacts anymore."
Casadin's expression shifted, still playful, but now tinged with something serious. "Falling out with friends?"
She nodded.
"Marie, my so-called best friend, or at least I thought she was, accused me of stealing her boyfriend. They broke up, and a week later he started courting me. I turned him down immediately. We talked, I thought things were okay. Turns out she was just pretending. Behind my back, she was gathering sympathy from our other friends, playing the victim. And the others? They started talking shit too."
Evadne took a breath, her voice calm but heavy.
"So I cut them off. All of them. I realized they weren't really my friends. They only kept me around because I let them copy my assignments, spoiled them with expensive gifts, paid for everything. They tolerated me. But they didn't really like me."
"You shouldn't have cut them off," Casadin said after a beat.
Evadne blinked. "Wow. Thanks for the empathy."
"I mean," he grinned, "you should've stayed close. Just so you could shove whatever they were jealous of right in their faces. Let them choke on it."
Evadne laughed. "That's so petty."
"Exactly. Why should they be the only ones having fun? That's why I rub it in Hades's face every chance I get." Casadin chuckled darkly. "No traitor deserves peace."
And then they both burst into laughter.
Water shimmered around them, sunlight casting golden ripples across their skin. For a moment, no past, no trauma, just two teenagers laughing at the world, and maybe, just maybe, starting to heal each other in the process.