The Moment I Never Had

(POV: Me)

The world feels unreal. Like a dream I don't want to wake up from.

She's standing there, under that glowing tree, looking at me with the same eyes I've memorized a thousand times in my heart. The eyes that once felt like home.

But this isn't possible. She was—

No. I don't want to think about that.

I take a step forward. The grass beneath me is soft, like walking on clouds. The air is warm, carrying a scent that reminds me of late summer nights and the quiet moments we used to share.

"Is it really you?" My voice is barely a whisper.

She tilts her head, smiling softly. That smile. The one that always made me feel like maybe—just maybe—I wasn't completely alone in this world.

"Why do you sound so surprised?" she asks, teasing.

I exhale sharply, shaking my head.

"Because… I thought I lost you."

A pause. The wind dances between us, carrying unspoken words.

She steps closer. Close enough that I can see the way her hair moves with the breeze, the way her lips part like she has something to say—but isn't sure if she should.

"You never lost me," she says. "You just stopped looking."

My chest tightens.

"I never stopped."

She smiles again, but there's something in her eyes. Something deep. Something painful.

"Then why did you forget me?"

The question hits me like a storm.

I want to say I didn't. That she's always been here, in my thoughts, in my dreams, in the spaces between every breath I take. But…

"I don't know." My voice shakes. "I don't know what happened to me."

She reaches out. Fingers brushing against mine.

"You got lost."

"And you found me?"

"I never stopped looking."

Those words break something inside me. A dam I didn't even realize was holding back all the things I never got to say.

"I missed you," I admit, voice raw. "Every damn day."

"Then don't waste this moment."

She takes my hand fully now, pulling me close. The warmth of her skin, the way her fingers curl around mine—it's real.

I don't know if this is magic, or a dream, or if the universe is just giving me one last chance to have what I never could.

But right now, it doesn't matter.

Right now, she's here.

And I'm not letting go.

Her warmth is still in my hand when the sky rips open.

A violent gust of wind howls through the field, shaking the glowing tree above us. The golden sky twists, darkening into something unnatural—like the world is waking up from a dream, forcing us back into reality.

I tighten my grip on her hand. I won't let her go. Not again.

She looks up, her expression unreadable, but I can see the way her fingers tremble slightly in mine.

"It's coming," she whispers.

"What is?" My voice is sharper than I intend, panic creeping in.

She doesn't answer—but I feel it before I see it.

A deep, earth-shaking rumble rolls through the ground. The air crackles, filled with something I can't explain but instinctively recognize—danger.

Then—a shadow moves.

Not one. Not two. Many.

Figures emerge from the swirling darkness, their bodies shifting, twisting, almost formless. Like living shadows. Like nightmares that learned how to walk.

My breath catches. I know this feeling.

The overwhelming, paralyzing weight of fear. The same fear that kept me silent when I was younger. The same fear that made me feel weak.

Not now. Not this time.

She squeezes my hand once before letting go, stepping forward. She isn't afraid.

"Stay behind me," I say, my voice firm, protective.

She turns slightly, glancing at me over her shoulder. And then she smiles.

"You should know by now—I never do that."

A spark ignites in her eyes. Then suddenly, she moves.

Fast.

She lunges forward, her hand glowing with a strange, ethereal light. The shadows attack all at once, lunging at her—but she's quicker.

A single slash of her hand tears through them, light bursting like a thousand falling stars. The shadows scream, recoiling, writhing.

But more keep coming. Too many.

I grit my teeth. I can't just stand here.

A deep breath. And then—power surges through me.

I don't question it. I let it take over, let it flood my veins like fire. Something inside me awakens.

"Move!" I shout, and as she jumps back—I release it.

A blast of energy erupts from my body, slamming into the creatures. The field shakes. The glowing tree's leaves swirl wildly in the wind. The shadows howl—and then shatter.

Silence.

The world holds its breath.

I stagger, breathing heavily. What the hell was that?

She turns to me slowly, eyes wide. Not with fear. But with recognition.

"I knew it," she breathes.

"Knew what?" I swallow hard, my pulse still racing.

She steps closer, placing a hand on my chest—right over my heart.

"You're not just anyone," she whispers. "You're meant for something greater. And they know it too."

The shadows weren't just attacking us.

They were hunting me.

The world stills, but my heart pounds.

Her hand lingers on my chest, warm despite the cold air around us. I should feel comforted, but instead, I feel like something inside me has cracked open.

"What do you mean they were hunting me?" My voice is sharp, but I can't control it.

She exhales, stepping back. The glow in her eyes fades, replaced by something else—hesitation.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell you yet," she murmurs.

Yet.

I don't like that word. It means she's known something all along. Something about me.

"Tell me now," I demand. "No more secrets."

She closes her eyes for a second—like she's searching for the right words. Or maybe bracing for my reaction.

"You're special," she finally says. "Not in a cliché way. Not in the way people use that word to make others feel important. You were… created for something. And they know it."

I shake my head. Created?

"That doesn't make sense," I say, stepping back. _"I'm just—" I stop myself.

I was about to say I'm just a normal person. But I know that's a lie.

The things I've felt. The way the world moves differently around me. The way shadows seem to whisper when I'm alone. I've always known something wasn't right with me.

But I never asked. I never wanted to.

"I wanted to tell you before," she admits. "But I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

Her eyes lock onto mine, and this time, there's no hesitation.

"Afraid you wouldn't believe me. Or worse—afraid that once you knew the truth, you'd lose yourself to it."

A sharp wind cuts through the air, making the glowing leaves tremble. A warning.

"We need to leave," she says suddenly, looking around. "They'll be back. And next time, they won't just be shadows."

I don't move. I need answers.

"What am I?" I ask, voice barely above a whisper.

She looks at me, something unreadable in her expression.

And then she says the words that change everything.

"You're not human."