Rocky Beginnings

The breeze brushed against my brown hair, and the rushing water relaxed my senses. With a smile still on my face, I opened my grey eyes to gaze at the majestic wonder which was the familiar waterfall.

The rocky wall reached up, and the mighty trail of water reached down, splashing into the rocks below or sliding down the ledge, it's clarity always stunning me deep down, even though my childhood centered around this small, yet memorable place I could be myself in.

Even though the forest frightened me sometimes, I always relaxed when the water's calling voice neared.

I wouldn't recommend wearing a dress when you're racing through a forest, though. Leaves, branches, vines, and dirt aren't suitable for a lady. At least, that's what my mother always said.

But what could you do when your house is inside a forest? I'm always out and into the wild. Nature had a way of pulling me into its charm, and I didn't mind one bit.

On the contrary, I was sitting with my knees close to my chest, admiring the waterfall as the grass tickled my bare feet, almost like a fairytale.

Everything was magical in this place, and it's been like that since I was born.

However, someone needed a reason to escape, and if anyone found me, I would be grounded for sure.

I shook the thought away and got up, my eyes never leaving the water. With a glance behind my shoulder, I lifted my dress a bit and dipped my feet into the cool, clear water, the small rocks underneath providing sufficient guidance.

A sigh of relief escaped me, my peaceful eyes gazing up at the waterfall again. No matter what, my eyes always found it, and when I did, I knew I was safe.

Out of nowhere, a devilish idea occurred to me, and I made my way to the side. Staring up at the rocky ledge, I placed my hands and feet carefully, hoping my dress wouldn't ruin things.

I've always wanted to climb up, but, never in my seventeen years of living have I dared to go beyond a few steps. But, it seemed like this time was another story.

Unfortunately, the afternoon sun had other plans, heating up the rocks, and making me groan and wince in pain whenever I moved further up. But I wasn't giving up this easily.

Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself up, and when my eyes met the other side, I froze. Another stretch of forest stood before me. But what was on the other side of it? The question intrigued me, but it was too dangerous. Not to mention that I had snuck out, and by now, my mother would realize my absence.

With a look back behind me, I grinned, pushing myself on my feet and running forward, not away to my boring house, but into the arms of the unknown.

Again, the vines and branches had caught on my dress, but I was determined to keep moving, with or without a reason. In the end, to avoid such nuisance, I ripped the already-torn fabric, leaving the blue dress to reach a bit further up my knees. It was a careless thing to do, but in the sight of the relieving canopy of leaves above me, I didn't care, and kept moving forward.

After a few minutes, I had found a squirrel wondering around. Giggling, I ran after it to it's den in a hole inside a tree bark.

It sounded off on me, and I backed away. Perhaps it was hungry? Searching around, I found a nut in the ground, and slid it inside.

The furry animal quickly munched on it, and I gazed in awe. Nature really was beautiful, and maybe, I found a friend?

I sat with it for a few minutes, watching it intently. In the end, it came to me, and I extended my hand. As if understanding the message, it came closer, sitting on my hand.

My mind was frantic from surprise and excitement. It gazed up at me with the wind gently brushing its brown fur. I lifted one finger to rub its head, and it shrunk against my touch.

"Winter is coming, so you should gather as much food as you can," I said, and it watched me with its soft black eyes. Finally placing it on the ground, I watched it look back, then vanish into the bushes.

Getting back up on my feet, I moved forward. But I needed to be careful; I wasn't only venturing into the unknown, but I was risking being yelled at, and that wasn't avoidable.

Step by step, I carefully made my way forward. But when my feet slipped, I fell, sliding down a ledge. My body hit the ground hard, and the ache in my limbs became evident. I groaned in pain, lifting myself up. There went my dress, my face, and my chances of returning home.

After a short break, I quickly tried to climb, but a horrible stab of pain alerted me that my ankle was sprained. I took my dirty, scratched boots off, cringing at the red-purplish stain which stuck to my right foot. Ignoring the bleeding of the wound, I looked around for a water source to clean it up.

Finding a small pond, I slid my feet into the cold water, letting the relief wash over me. I took the time to think of a strategy; Climb again? No good; it would only intensify the pain. Find another way? That could work, but I wasn't sure if I could walk much to accomplish that, and what if I run into some wild animal? All I could do was call for help and wait. But that too wasn't safe, and who could hear me all the way here? Certainly every hungry animal.

I made my way, staring up at the ledge as the helplessness seeped into my senses, and I finally raised my voice to scream.

My attempts proved futile, because in the end, no one came. I slid down, tired and hopeless. Yet when I was about to give up, a pebble hit my head from above, and I gazed up.

I was on my feet in the next moment, desperately trying to push back the pain as I called, "Help me!"

The man, seemingly my age, nodded. I watched him climb down to me. "You're Aria Nightly, right?" I quickly nodded, ignoring the brief moment of recognition between me and this kind stranger. "Are you okay?"

"No." I responded, briefly touching my ankle. He understood. And when he bent down, I widened my eyes.

"Climb on, then," He said, showing me his coated back. I did so without objections, minding my injury. Once he began to climb, I quickly closed my eyes shut, burying my face in his shoulder.

Before I knew it, though, he reassured that we were back up. My mind told me to get down, but he caught my mind. "You're hurt, remember?" He showed me a mocking smile, and I wrapped my arms around his neck again.

"Who are you?" I asked as he walked back.

"Your mother told me where to find you, but you weren't there. And when I heard someone screaming, I suspected it would be you." He responded. I waited for a second, then he spoke again. "Your mother had asked for us to come, saying that I would be a perfect match for you." When he smirked, I tightened my hold around his neck as the frustration reached me.

"Put me down! Now!" I exclaimed in anger. He struggled for a bit, spewing apologies before releasing me.

"What's your problem?!" He fired at me, annoyed.

I hoisted myself up, glaring back. "What's yours? Saving me so I would marry you? I already told everyone I won't do so."

"Who said you needed to? And if it weren't for me, you'd be eaten alive by now."

I observed his chillingly angered expression, then without a word, moved forward. He walked close by, watching with his judging eyes. "Let me help you."

"No, thank you," I said, making my way under a branch, and ignoring the increasing pain in my ankle.

He caught my arm, and I turned to glare at him. "Listen. Please let me help," He said, and the gentle seriousness in his blue eyes was evident. I hesitated for a second, then he extended his hand to me. "Damian Reyes. Nice to meet you." Shaking it despite the strange uncertainty in my gut, I nodded.

He hoisted himself up with me on his back, then began walking again. His careful yet agile steps put my sloppy jumps to shame.

"I didn't mean to offend you. But we can be friends, right?" I asked, only to receive a soulless hum as a response.

I messed up, and the silent walk proved it. But to my relief, he spoke again after a while. "I'm sorry, too. It was ill-mannered of me to make you feel like you were being used." In response, I gently leaned in, giggling as his short black hair tickled my face. Damian laughed along with me.

Once we reached the edge of my beloved waterfall, Damian told me to hang on tight, and I did, watching him slowly climb down. Now that I saw it, the waterfall looked much more angelic up close. Without thinking, I reached my hand out to touch the flowing water, but it was still too far away, forcing me to stretch a bit further.

The horrified warning call was still ringing in my ears after I had lost my balance. But Damian's right hand still clung to mine as his other one tried to hang on.

No matter how much I tried, my injured leg stopped me from balancing my feet on the rocky wall. Both of my hands clutched his now as I watched him struggle.

Yet one look behind me, and I saw his eyes soften. "Let go."

"What?!" I exclaimed in horror. But his eyes bore into mine.

"Trust me," He said, and after one look at him, I closed my eyes, letting go of his grip.

The splash was unmistakable, and I raced to the surface, breathing for air. But once my eyes met Damian's grin, I relaxed. "Move out of the way!" He called, and before I could understand the meaning behind that, he released his grip. I had one second to move away before the water splashed onto my face.

"Really?!" I exclaimed, splashing him back with water, only for him to laugh.

"Hey, at least you didn't fall to the ground," He said, observing my annoyed expression. I reached my hands and pushed his head into the water. I crawled out, hearing him laugh behind me.

For a moment, I wanted to sympathize with my poor, drenched dress, but I chose otherwise, moving forward. "I was already late, and you made it worse."

He caught up to me. "Really? As far as I remember, I wasn't the one who plummeted down a ledge, or the one who caused us to almost fall to our deaths." Ignoring him, his shady behavior, and my bad ankle, I moved forward, clinging to the hope that my mother would still be playing the piano, and had not noticed her only daughter's absence since this morning.

My father would give me a pass, understanding my love for the place he let me call home after he had showed it to me. But my mother, on the other hand, was always overprotective of me, never allowing the tiniest of scratches to reach me.

And here I was, drenched, tired, and with a swollen, bleeding ankle. And the telling of the recent events was sure to get her head spinning.

Damian's hand on my shoulder altered me of his presence. I merely smiled back at him, hoping he would understand the reason behind my urgency and fear.

I snuck in through the back door, much to Damian's confusion. "What on London's name are you doing?" He asked. I shushed him quickly, sliding inside.

"Do you know where they are?" I whispered, my eyes moving frantically on the way to my room.

"Before I went out, they were sitting in the living room together." Hearing that, I relaxed a bit, only to jump at the sound of my mother's booming voice.

"Aria!" She called, rushing to me. I hid behind Damian. "Where were you?"

"Out," I said, lifting my eyes to look at her furious green ones.

"Why were you out? Didn't I tell you to never go there?"

I was out and into her view by then. "You know how much I love that place, Mom. Then why do you keep me away from it?!" She was taken aback by that, but soon enough, she regained herself.

"That place is dangerous! Seriously, look at yourself!" Without meaning to, my eyes lowered to my body. But I wasn't going to lose this argument.

"That was an accident!" I fired back. She was about to answer to that, but Damian finally spoke.

"Ladies, calm down. Yelling won't solve anything," He said, eyeing both of us.

"Yes, that's why I brought you here. To help her, to give her a life away from all of this. Please!" My mother begged, and her brown bun had become loose.

That made upset me even more. "Don't bring him into this! I'm not getting married, nor do I need anyone to help me!"

She turned her attention back to me. "You don't see what I see! You and your father don't understand"

"If there really was something dangerous out there, I would've known about it by now," I said.

"You're a danger to yourself!" She snapped. "If it wasn't for Damian, who knows what would've happened"

"I was just fine by myself."

Damian eyed me. "No, you weren't." Well, that classic defense backfired quickly.

"I'll be more careful. But please don't take that place away from me!" I finally begged.

My mother narrowed her eyes at me. "Knowing you, that promise would be short-lived." And there we go.

"What do you want, then?!"

"You'll stay here, you'll spend more time with us and Damian, and I beg you, don't sneak out," She said before eyeing us both, then walking away.

Damian stood with his arms crossed. "I assume that would be difficult?" I ignored him, limping away to my room, trying to conceal the anger and annoyance boiling inside of me.

The sight of the milky white walls, the light blue bedsheets and curtains had mixed feelings in my mind. The door opened while I was in the middle of bandaging my wound.

"Forgive me if I disturbed you." The voice was new, and gentle. My head turned to it before I could stop myself, meeting the blue eyes of someone who was sure to be Damian's mother. Her black hair was braided behind her back.

I quickly stood, smiling at her. "No, not at all." She noticed my difficulty and came closer

"You don't have to act tough around me, dear," She said, catching me off guard for a moment, then she guided me to sit on the bed. "I hope my son was okay with you."

"He was okay. But a little hard to handle."

"He's caring when he needs to be. You'll get used to it eventually."

My eyes saddened then. "But I don't"

"What is it? You can tell me."

"I don't want to get married. I'm not exactly social, or interesting like he is." Her hand moved to my cheek, and I met her eyes, never blinking.

"Do you know why I came here, Aria?" She asked gently. "Because in your mother's descriptions, and now, in these grey eyes I see a misunderstood angle. Don't underestimate yourself. Try new things, meet new people, and live your life to the fullest." For some reason, those words were more valuable and logical than anything I've ever heard, so I nodded to reassure her.

"Thank you," I said.

She giggled. "And go change while you're at it." With that, I watched her go out of the room. I quickly moved to the bathroom to clean myself.

In the mirror, my face even shocked me. Dirty and scarred with signs of exhaustion and stress. Perhaps mother was right?

When I went out, I moved to the door and went out of the room. I knew the moment I saw my mother again she would make a bigger deal out of everything that had happened

Speaking of my mother, in the living room, I caught her upset glances a few times, and realized that she wouldn't let this one slide, that we had a lot to talk about, meaning I had a lot to say in my defense. When that time comes, though, I was sure she would seek Damian's confirmation about every scene that took place. And after enduring all those rude comments and an icy shoulder, he would surely never take my side.

My eyes wondered to Damian's mother. She was different. From her words, and gentle smile, I sensed she meant well. But my mother would never agree to anything that involved me being loose in the wild.

"Hey," Damian whispered, and I turned my attention to him, seeming as indifferent as possible. "Let's leave them to their chat and go out. What do you say?"

I looked at him for a moment, then avoided his gaze. "I'd appreciate it if you don't talk to me."

"Forgot our teamwork out there? I'm here to help you," He said.

I was losing patience. "Yes, I did forget how you ruined my dress and made me look like a fool!"

He widened his eyes, offended. "Excuse me? I saved your life, and twice!" For a moment, I was taken aback by that. Then, glaring at him, I walked out of the room.

Staring out of my window at the thick stretch of forest with my sad eyes, I imagined the water of the waterfall rushing down, and found myself smiling softly. But the vision was broken by a sudden step behind me.

"Go away, Damian. I don't want to talk," I said, never showing interest as I stood, unfazed.

"It's me," And I whipped around, widening my eyes at her. My mother stood, her eyes emotionless as she stared at my clothing. Simple shirt and pants, or in other words, what wasn't fit for the lady she wanted me to be. "I can't believe you went in front of them in such baggy clothes."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"And you ruined the dress I gave you for your birthday. That dress was a family tradition, you know. I wore the same when your father's family came to see me." The words were like a weight of guilt in my chest.

"I didn't know," I said, meeting her eyes now.

"Of course you don't. When was the last time you paid attention to anything that happened around here?" She eyed me with annoyance now, and I had nothing to say and defend myself. "All you care about is that ancient piece of rock."

"Don't say that!" I finally objected. "What do you care about? Ordering your daughter around and making her miserable?!"

"There are guests in the house," She said firmly. "Don't raise your voice."

"No, let them hear! How you don't care about your daughter and want to get rid of her!" I shouted.

"I only want you to care about your life more than that place! Why can't you understand me?!"

"Because you don't! Did you ever ask me what I liked or what I was afraid of? No, all you did was shape my future in your image, and you're doing it now!"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "How could you? I gave you everything in life, and yet"

"Yes, everything but your love and care!" The tears were threatening to fall now.

"You know that isn't true. Don't lie!" She fired back.

"Really? Okay then, where were you when I was always having nightmares? Where were you when I needed your warmth beside me? You abandoned me when I showed the slightest sign of defiance, and never cared for me when the time needed it!"

She glared back at me. "Well, did you ever tell me what was wrong? Did you ever call my name? No, you only did what you wanted, and look what that led to now. You almost died!"

"Because you snatched my life away from me! Treating me like some puppet in your game. I'm telling you now, I'm not marrying Damian!" I yelled back with the tears streaming down my face. But my voice had every bit of anger, every bit of sadness I had felt at her abandonment.

"Why can't you see he's trying to help you?" She objected.

"I don't need help!" I yelled. "Certainly not from some annoying monkey who can't leave me alone!"

My head jerked to the right, feeling the sharp stab of pain in my left cheek, and realizing my own mother had slapped me. I stared at her with my eyes wide in surprise. Her narrowed ones, though, showed no sign of remorse or guilt. She glared mercilessly for a moment before moving to the door, leaving me stunned.

The hollowness in my chest couldn't even compete with the pain of my reddening cheek. For a while, though, I sat on the windowsill, trying to register what had happened.

My mother slapped me for the first time in my life, and showed no sign of regret or guilt at her actions. I only asked for her love and care, afraid of the loneliness and the neglect I had endured from her for so long. How could she? And for some boy nonetheless.

There was no way I could ever accept Damian after this. Everything was alright before he came. And when he did, he took away everything from me. Who knows what his true colors are like when his mere ill-mention could make my mother lift her hand to hit me.

The sun was setting without me realizing it. Even then, I sat, motionless, staring into some point in the distance. But I needed to get up, because I had promised my father that I would sit with him after sunset. But I didn't know how I would face him with the tears and the red mark on my face.

Bringing my hands into the view of my eyes, I saw that the redness from my nails were still there. I was this angry as to turn my gentle hands into fists without realizing it? But even when I needed to, I couldn't fight back or even defend myself. Everything was so sudden I was left speechless.

But what now? Am I supposed to go out there and act like nothing happened? Because I was sure it was what that last glare ordered.

Wait, why should I obey someone who doesn't care about me? And why was she defending these strangers, unless Damian's mother was a close friend or something. My mother was always secretive about her friends, but how could she let an annoying, uncultured animal into the house? And how was I supposed to marry him, exactly? He had no sense of space, was the most annoying thing around, and kept on tugging on my nerves and patience.

I finally sighed, and dared to get up, wiping the dried trails of my tears before moving to the door, trying to seem as if my world didn't crumble before me right then and there. But it was easy enough, because if there was anything I had learnt from my years without the warmth of a mother, it was to keep my conflicted emotions hidden.

Walking down the hallway, I looked around me for her. Nothing. "She's with my mother in the living room still." The voice sounded behind me, and I turned my head to look at Damian.

"Thankfully," I said, and walked away. He caught up shortly after.

"So, what do you do for fun?" He smiled.

"Go to the forest. Oh, I'm sorry, before you came here and ruined everything, that is!" I snapped. He stood, watching me with slight surprise in his eyes.

"What's with you? Why are you so cold toward everyone?" He asked.

"None of your business!" I exclaimed before turning to walk away again.

My feet stopped their tracks, feeling the tight hold on my wrist. "Let go," I said.

"Do you want to talk? Is something bothering you?" He asked, and I gritted my teeth at him, pulling my hand back and out of his grasp.

"Why don't you go back home, huh? Why are you after me?" In response, he smiled softly.

"Maybe because I like you?"

That took me aback. My eyes widened. "What?" He was still smiling. I snapped out of my trance to glare at him again. "Yeah, right."

"You don't believe me?" He asked, and I crossed my arms. "Well, come with me." He took my hand and led me away in a blur.

Night had fallen at this point, yet we were trekking through the forest. Damian's hand was still on mine as he guided me through the unmarked paths to my safe haven.

"Why did you bring me here?" I watched him intently as he made his way to the back of the waterfall through the side, motioning for me to follow. I carefully obeyed.

"Look," He said, pointing to the wall behind it.

My eyes widened in awe. It was an animal. No, not quite, but an unknown creature, carved into the wall of the waterfall with a sharp blade. A dark and menacing figure with sharp claws and hypnotizing eyes. All in one place and brought to life with a skilled hand.

Turning my head to Damian, I looked into his eyes for answers. But he only shrugged. "I do that as a hobby, and I saw the photos on your desk. You like these kinds of stuff, don't you?"

I quickly avoided his gaze. "What if I do?" He chuckled as a response.

"Well, I hope you like it," He said before making his way out. I watched the creature intently for a moment, but his calling voice snapped me out of my trance and forced me to come out and face him. "Well?"

I shrugged. "It's not half bad. Good job. But don't snoop through my things again." And went to walk away with an emotionless mask on my face.

He caught up to me after a moment. I took the time to look back at him, and that's when my bad ankle hit a broken branch, forcing me to fall.

I opened my eyes, though, to find myself inches away from the ground. Damian pulled me up by the hand, only to smirk at me. "Oh, I'm sorry, you said for me to let go." He joked.

"Thanks, but don't think too highly of yourself," I said, and moved forward, only to wince and wrap my hands around my ankle.

"Need help?" He asked.

"No!" I exclaimed. "Leave me alone."

That's when his features tensed. "You're injured."

"So what? Why do you care?" He watched me intently for a moment, and then, as if ignoring my question, picked me up in his arms. "What do you think you're doing?!" He only glanced at me for a moment, then, without saying a word, moved forward.

Eventually, I stopped arguing, given that he didn't even look my way as he walked through the forest, and wrapped my arms around his neck and secured myself.

He even went the extra mile, setting me on the bed in my room. I looked up at him to find a gentle smile on his face. "You're welcome," He said. I didn't even bother to roll my eyes. What did I expect?

Moving away from him, I had thought he was done, but he stopped me before going to the drawers and getting the first-aid kit out.

"It's alright. I don't need it," I said, watching him sit on his knees in front of me.

"Are you sure?" He asked. I nodded to reassure him. "I'll check, anyway." And dropped his eyes to my injury. That's when I rolled mine.

It turned out I had worsened it. The purplish spots darkened gradually, and the bleeding frightened me, even though it was fairly small. "Do you think it's an infection, perhaps?" I turned my head to him. His eyes saddened at the wound.

"I'm sorry," He said. "It's all my fault. I really do interfere in your life."

"No." I responded, clutching his hands. "You saved me, Damian. Three times, that says a lot." He returned the smile shortly after.

"I'm glad," He said, then avoided my gaze for a moment, his eyes gradually saddening. "You know, ever since my father died, I've took care of my mother. And when they said you'd marry me, I didn't know if it was instinct or not, but I needed to keep you safe." His sad smile met my eyes, and I looked into his, speechless.

"I'm sorry." I finally spoke. "I've misjudged you." His hand was quickly placed over mine.

"No!" He objected. "Please! Don't say that." I slowly smiled in response. His hands reached to my cheeks, and before I knew it, his lips gently connected with my forehead.

He moved back to look at me. I was motionless, forcing him to chuckle softly. When I finally met his eyes, though, I genuinely smiled at him.

Before going out of the room, Damian gave me a smile, and I quickly returned it.

Even after a few moments, I was still staring at the door, hoping he would return. But I quickly pushed the thought away.

I didn't know what to think anymore, but he was still trying to leave a good impression, yet I couldn't decide if it was really him or not.

The idea of us marrying was absurd. I didn't know him, and I didn't know of them arriving, either. All of this happened behind my back, without my permission, and now I was expected to go along with it? How, exactly?

I sat on the windowsill, gazing out and into the forest as I tried to get my priorities straight. I didn't think my father knew about all of this. If he had, he definitely would've asked about my opinion. But, unlike him, my mother always had a habit of doing things her own way. And that slap was still lingering around my mind, along with the ache of it.

The longer I stared out the window, the harder it was to not hate everyone who got on my nerves today. But, in the back of it all, in the corner of my mind, those animalistic eyes came into view, staring back at me.

Somehow, those eyes relaxed me in the most eerie way, draining my mind of any significant emotion.

I sighed, feeling my body weaken, begging me to close my eyes, but I had better things to do. My feet moved robotically to the door and out of the room.

The hallways were empty, and the carpet's touch beneath my bare feet was comforting. Most of the butlers and maids were scattered around the place, but I was never the ordering type like my mother wanted me to be, so I did everything myself, only accepting help when necessary. As soon as my father's room door came into view, I smiled, yet when I opened it, though, he wasn't there. Strange? He usually never left his room, and I was sure he didn't go into my mother's room, either. He hated the menacing, controlling air there. That's why they got separate rooms, and I had no say on that, of course.

He was always serious about our activities together, so where was he? I walked in, calling for him. But he was nowhere to be seen or heard.

I went to the backyard, ignoring the elders and Damian sitting around the table, and searched around.

"What's the matter?" Damian walked up to me.

"My father! I can't find him anywhere," I said, letting the exhaustion show.

"He's probably out somewhere. Calm down." When I looked up into his eyes, I shook my head.

"You don't get it! He never leaves his room!" I exclaimed before racing away from him. He was about to follow, but I stopped him. "If you really do like me, then respect personal boundaries." My tone was harsh, but it was enough to shock him.

My leg wasn't exactly in good shape, but I pushed myself through the trees and into the arms of the waterfall. My heart relaxed the moment I gazed up at it before finally noticing my father a few feet away, sitting on the grass.

When I limped my way to him, he patted the grass, sensing me behind him, or probably hearing my loud intakes of breath.

The pain hit me when I did, wincing. "You know, your mother's not wrong," He said, his grey eyes glancing at me for a moment.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. He chuckled, pulling me to his chest where I wrapped my arms around his body. "Don't be like that. If you object, then it's the end for me."

"I would never, sweetheart. You know that." He smiled down at me. "But you were foolish with that stunt."

"Sorry. But I'm not doing that again. Promise!" I moved away, showing him my desperate eyes. "And it's not like you did any good by disappearing." Mumbling under my breath, I looked away. He shrugged, though, as if it couldn't possibly matter.

"Special things are not always permanent. You never know when that cherished dream will come to an end," He said, baffling me for a moment as I sat there, trying to register his words. "This place, this house, this waterfall. They've always had a special place in my heart ever since I came here with my father. And now, I hope you're ready to inherit all of this, ready to make new memories, yet still maintaining its majestic wonder."

When I responded, there was an emotionless edge to my voice. "Mother seems to have other plans." His alert eyes met mine the next second. "I don't know what she told you, but Damian's here to marry me, and she's not letting me object."

The moments ticked by as I waited for a reaction, then he let out a heavy breath, his eyes hard on the waterfall. "This woman is impossible." He rose to his feet. I was about to do the same if it wasn't for a pleasant yet irritating voice making me freeze.

"I don't mean any disrespect. I only ask for a chance," Damian said, eyeing the both of us. "I know all of this is sudden to you, but I need you to trust me, Sir. If anything goes wrong, you can do whatever you want."

When I stood, my father and I exchanged a questioning look. "Very well. I hope you know what you're doing." My father responded, and I watched Damian smile. He patted Damian's shoulder, walking past him, leaving us alone.

"I told you to not come." He walked up to me, ignoring the force of my glare.

"Forgive me, but I couldn't help it," He said, smiling down at me. Somehow, that made the anger inside of me melt.

I sat down again, ignoring him and that cunning smile of his. He sat beside me, and I risked a glance to see him smiling up at the waterfall. I had thought my father and I were the only ones who were affected by its grace, but Damian proved me wrong.

I limped through the massive hallways back to my room, trying to keep my attention off my exhausted ankle. This location was certainly angelic and unique for a house, especially for something as big as this. I'd call it a mansion, but I don't have the habit of boasting like my mother. Thankfully.

I wondered about what Damian thought about all of this, but he too would have come from a wealthy family, given that my mother was so fond of him. She never sides with someone unless she would gain something from that.

Speaking of Damian Reyes, he was one interesting fellow. My age, and quite nice if you weren't Aria Nightly, someone who is nice to everyone unless she finds something unsettling in them, and Damian's kindness is a little too much. Extra kind people were always a handful, but I supposed the mention of his past did soften me up a little bit.

The moment I opened the door to my room, I forced on a smile for Damian's mother, who was reading a book on a chair in the corner.

"Oh, forgive me for the intrusion," She said gently, closing the book as I walked to her.

"No, I don't mind." I was tired, and seemed to have forgot about my ankle, which was screaming. "I'm sure the guest rooms are ready for you when you need to go, though." Why was I tolerating them here, anyway? Sometimes, being too obedient was unhealthy.

She was watching me when I sat on the bed. "I know I'm not supposed to say anything, but your father came in a few minutes ago. He was angry."

I shook my head. "They're like that. You shouldn't worry, ma'am." The formal word confused her. She was clearly trying to warm up to me, trying to make the relationship between Damian and I work out. But I had no time nor desire for that. Curiosity was a dangerous thing, though, and I wanted to know where this would take everything, not that I had the choice of turning back after being pushed all the way here.

"Do you need me to help with anything?" She was trying too hard, but she was supportive, I needed to give her that.

This time, I gave her a genuine, kind smile. "No. Thank you." She nodded silently, and Damian's story came up to me. This made it harder to despise them, given that I, too, lacked a parent, even though she was still alive, and in front of me.

The silence stretched longer than I wanted it to. I made my way to her, sitting on the windowsill. "Damian told me about his father." She watched me intently now, yet I kept my voice at bay. "And he carved a piece of art into the waterfall for me." I turned my head to her now, betraying the relaxing gaze of the forest. "He seems to be doing everything, so I'll try harder to catch up. I promise."

Her hands wrapped around mine gently. "This is all so sudden, I know. And it's not fair of us, either, to make you feel this way. But I appreciate everything you're doing, dear." This time, it was me who met her eyes. "Damian can be clingy and bothersome, but it will get better." I finally nodded to reassure her. She gave a small giggle in response. "You're no way like your mother. That's a relief."

That was the winning sentence right there. I trusted her then, and she trusted me in return. It was a huge relief that there was no resemblance between me and my mother. That was what I was fighting for to achieve all along.

Securing my hands on hers, I brightened my smile at last. And the surrounding forests sang their silent melodies along with the slowing breeze, seemingly undisturbed.

So, this is where it all starts, I guessed. Everything was indeed sudden and unexpected, but nothing my mother did was well-thought out or planned. But this time, it was about my very life, so I needed to keep my eyes open.

After a few moments, I looked down. "And about what Damian said. I'm sorry."

"No," She said. "Don't be." I looked at her then. "That's only life. When a soul vanishes, another one appears, and we can't escape what happens. But we can be there for those who need us at the time being, right?" I nodded in response, even though her words were a little confusing to me.

"I suppose I never thought of it that way," I said. "Maybe mother was right? I do care about that place too much."

She shook her head, smiling still. "Everything in life is precious, be it a tree, or a person. You only have to worry about how to give them their fair share of care and time. No one said you need to care about one more than the other." Well, that was an advice.

"So, I don't have to abandon it?"

"Of course not! I'm a nature fellow myself, and I don't see how that affects my relationship with my son."

I thought about that for a moment. "Okay, I'll try. Thank you for that."

She patted my head. "No problem, dear. I'm always there for my children." Children? She already thinks of me as that?

Those words made me stop in my tracks. No one beside my father acknowledged me that way, with such care and love. And this lady didn't even know me that much, but she already sensed my distress at this confusing situation I was in.

A single tear rolled down my right eye. She rubbed my head, and I silently moved to hug her. She returned it gratefully after a moment of surprise.

No one beside my father treated me like this. At that moment, I truly felt the impact of years of loneliness creep into my senses, and the wholesome touch of her returned hug.