I lead her to the small private port of Calipso. There are about ten boats moored next to which stand a few men dressed in black. Lilia holds on to my arm, in silence. The sea is calm as an oil slick and the horizon is little more than a line that blends into the night.
I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. Her words have remained burned into me.
Let’s run away.
I want it more than anything. Even more now, with the taste of her still lingering on my lips. Now that the memory of her smooth skin still lingers beneath my fingers.
I had longed for this to happen.
Maybe she thinks I’ve had it all—every kind of love. The truth is, I’ve always begged for it.
Alone—whether as a man or a woman—in worlds that never truly belonged to me, I threw myself into whatever I could have. Most of the time, it was almost nothing. Almost every creature in the universe lives by primal needs, and in the early stages of my existence, that was enough. I didn’t know any better.
But humans—and the few other races like them—are something else entirely. The depth of their essence is immeasurable. They don’t realize it, but I, who have seen so many other forms of life, know it for certain.
Their emotions are powerful, their feelings unmatched. I won’t deny it—the passion I discovered among them has been my greatest damnation.
At first, it made me worse. A slave to the need to feel it, to possess it at any cost. And though I’ve paid for all of it, I regret many of the things I did to get what I wanted. I have longed for men and women to the point of agony, and I have had what I wanted far more often than I deserved.
But what did they love about me? A reflection, a copy of their own desire. What else could I be? Who else could I have been?
Every attempt to reveal myself for who I truly was only brought me pain and solitude. Perhaps I never even succeeded.
Yesterday, for the first time, I felt desired. Me.
She wanted me—whoever that may be.
Maybe my true identity still eludes me, but Lilia sees it. That means it exists. I am someone.
I want to believe it—I need it to be true.
Instinctively, I pull her close and press a kiss to her hair. I am so grateful to her that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to make her understand.
«What’s wrong?» she asks, finding herself wrapped in my arms.
«Nothing, it’s just… You’ve given me something precious.»
«My virginity?»
My eyes widen in surprise.
«No, I didn’t— I mean, yes, but—»
She laughs. «You’re blushing! I can’t believe it!»
«What are you talking about? It’s the boat lights.»
«Liar. Let me check.»
She tries to put her hands on my face, but I already know it’s on fire. So, I dodge, leaning back.
«If you keep it up, I’ll throw you overboard again,» I threaten, failing to sound even remotely serious.
She raises her hands with a smirk. «Okay, okay. Truce.»
I could put an end to that smugness of hers in ways she’s too inexperienced to imagine, but for now, I let it slide.
«Are you ready?»
Calypso’s voice makes me turn. She strides down the pier, surrounded by her flock of obedient nymphs.
«Oh, for the love of…» Lilia mutters, staring at the group giggling, nudging, and squealing.
The girls wear barely-there dresses, long veils cascading over their bare legs. Light fabrics in shades of blue, pink, and green, adorned with jewels and glittering ornaments.
Calypso’s hair is tied in a high ponytail trailing down her back, left exposed by a dazzling lilac sequin mini-dress. Silver high-heeled sandals stretch her legs into infinity—not that she needed the help.
I’m not surprised she has the most powerful men and women on the planet at her feet. But beauty is the smallest part of her power. She weaves the intricate web of relationships with the same mastery she uses on her ancient loom.
«Come now, the night won’t begin without us.» Calypso claps her hands, calling her chattering entourage to order.
«What night?» Lilia asks, watching them board a small yacht.
«Come.» I help her on board, and we find a quiet spot at the stern while the others disappear below deck.
Moments later, Calypso’s lackeys untie the moorings, and the vessel speeds out to sea.
Lilia brushes the wind-tossed hair from her face.
«Will you tell me where we’re going?»
«It’s my first time too. From what I know, there’s some sort of… secret base, somewhere in open waters.»
Lilia gestures toward the girls below, raising their glasses in a toast. «That doesn’t exactly scream ‘secret base’ attire.»
I shrug. «Calypso has a way of making everything enjoyable.»
She narrows her eyes at me, piercing me with her gaze. «I suppose you’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?»
I slip an arm around her shoulders and pull her close. «Oh, Lilia, stop it. With her, I faked everything. And I’m not proud of it.»
She presses a hand against my chest and plants a kiss on my neck.
«Sorry. I need to get used to this. But what does any of this have to do with finding my brother?»
I tilt my head, letting her rest her forehead against my cheek.
«Calypso activated her information network when she learned your story. We should hear something tonight.»
«How can we be sure she hasn’t traded what she knows about me?» she asks, doubtful.
«She definitely has.»
Lilia snaps her head back to look at me.
«Are you insane? They’ll come after me!»
I offer a small smile and trace my thumb along her cheekbone. «Power is a game of shifting balances. One man’s enemy is another’s ally—until the scales tip again.»
She exhales and leans against the seat with a huff. «This feels like some kind of hall of mirrors.»
«You’re right. It’s a dangerous game, but Calypso knows how to play her cards.»
Lilia pouts.
«I don’t like being her lucky hand.»
I smirk. «The Queen of Hearts.»
«Why not the Ace?» she suggests.
«Or maybe the Joker.»
Suddenly, her lips part, and she stares at me, frozen like a statue. I place a hand on her neck.
«Hey, are you okay?»
She grips my shoulders. «Ema, he used to say that too! My father—he used to call me his Joker!»
I wasn’t expecting that. «Really? What do you think it means?»
She rakes her hands through her hair, pulling it back. «I don’t know. He expects me to do something.»
I know she’s trying to pull images from that unreachable part of herself, digging for fragments buried deep.
The Sphinx has perfected the ability to create separate personalities within the Veiled, selling them as empty dolls capable of acting and then forgetting.
I had no doubt her father did the same to her.
That’s why I used that frequency key—to crack open a tiny breach. A sliver of space that, little by little, might bring down the wall built inside her without her knowledge.
But now, I regret pushing so far.
The moment her eyes roll back, her arms go limp, and her neck loses strength, my heart stops.
I catch her before she can collapse, trying to contain the tremors shaking her body. I feel powerless, and the pain of seeing her like this clouds my mind.
«Lilia, please,» I whisper. «Please.»
As if she could choose not to be shattered by this. What an idiot I was—I should never have pushed her so far.
«Forgive me,» I murmur as the trembling subsides.
«My father wanted Truesight to find me at the station.» Her voice is a whisper. «They were supposed to take me, and I was supposed to… do things, but…»
I cradle her, holding her close. «Shh, that’s enough. You don’t need to think about it now, okay?»
«Yes, yes.» She sniffs. «I feel awful, Ema. Why me?»
I have no answer for her. No one does.
The truth is, she doesn’t deserve the life she’s been condemned to.
«Listen to me.» I take her face in my hands. «I’m here. We’ll take this one step at a time, and we’ll figure everything out. You’ll be free, I promise you.»
She nods, but her lips tremble. «Don’t leave me.»
I run my fingers through her hair and press my lips to her cheek.
«I won’t,» I whisper.
She wraps her arms tightly around my shoulders. «Okay.»
That’s all she says before her breathing slows, her body melting against me. I hold her like that until the boat begins to slow.
«Feeling better?»
«Yeah, sorry… I wish I were stronger.» She rubs a hand over her eye and sighs.
I brush my fingers across her forehead, trailing them down to her chin. «You are strong.»
She gives a small smile. «You think?»
«I know. Now, relax. I’ll take care of you.»
«That sounds interesting when you put it that way.» She smiles and leans forward to look out over the sea. «But there’s nothing—Oh my god!»
Suddenly, something rises from the water with a soft hiss—a capsule of glass and metal, from which a narrow walkway extends.
«Come on, we don’t have all night.» Calypso tosses her glass into the sea and winks. «Or maybe we do.»
Laughter erupts from her followers as they glide onto the passage, making their way into what looks like a submerged elevator.
We follow, but the moment we step inside, I feel anything but comfortable. The walls press in, the air thick with unseen threats.
And I can’t stop thinking about Lilia’s words.
If she was meant to be captured by Truesight, then her father’s plans must have gone off course.
A smirk tugs at my lips—at least he hadn’t accounted for me. That gives me a sliver of satisfaction.
Still, I won’t let my guard down. That man has proven he’s capable of anything. He’s ruthless, intelligent, and I know he won’t stop until he gets what he wants.
«This is amazing!» Lilia exclaims as we sink deeper.
She presses her nose against the glass, and it comforts me to see some of her spirit return.
«Oh, my dear, you haven’t seen anything yet.» Calypso moves closer, and I don’t miss the way her gaze caresses Lilia.
She sees her as a bargaining chip—predictable. But as long as she doesn’t realize just how valuable she is, she’ll protect her.
And I’m certain she won’t underestimate my threats. I could tear down her little kingdom in an instant, and killing me would only delay that reckoning.
I shift my focus to the dark waters surrounding us.
Still, if I had another choice, I would have kept her out of this.
Calypso’s morality is unpredictable, and I know for sure—I am not one of her favorites.
«Where is this thing taking us?» Lilia asks.
The goddess gives her a dazzling smile. «To Calypso’s cave, of course.»
The hatch opens, and her questioning expression shifts into pure astonishment.
A steady pulse of music, muffled by the rocky walls that part before us, offers me a hint of what awaits.
«Are we at the bottom of the sea?» Lilia asks, her brown eyes wide. «And… is that music?»
«So much more, my young Alice in Wonderland.» Calypso brushes her long, pale fingers along Lilia’s arm. «This will be a night you won’t forget.»
My eyes meet the goddess’s, but only for an instant—I can’t decipher the real meaning behind her words.
«Hey, it’s okay.» Lilia’s voice loosens the icy grip that had settled on my spine. «Not everything has to be a threat lurking around the corner, right?»
I wish that were true. But the ominous feeling clawing at me leaves no room for optimism.
Still, she doesn’t need to see that.
She already carries too much pain—like a specter trailing her every step. A shadow that knows how to wait, silent, cruel. Relentless.
I slip on my best mask and smile at her.
«You’re right. The White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter never killed anyone, did they?»
«Exactly!» She throws her arms around my neck, and her lips find mine.
Am I moving too fast with her?
Maybe.
I should have waited, resisted, but how could I refuse her?
If I hadn’t confessed my feelings, I would have lost her. And when I felt her against me, I couldn’t do anything but give in.
I just hope she can accept all of me.
Because I can look like a boy, I can seem like anyone… but I am not just that person.
I am all of them.
All and none, at every moment.
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