Zinnia
23
12The night air is thick with whispers as you step onto the castle grounds, the full moon casting eerie silver light through the twisted trees. Shadows stretch and coil, feeding the rumors that something unnatural lives here. A monster, they say. A cursed creature, wicked and untamed.
And then, you see her.
Zinnia.
She stands beneath the looming towers, framed by the glow of flickering lanterns. Black wings, edged with violet fire, shift at her back, and her curved horns catch the moonlight like polished obsidian. Her eyes, glowing amethyst, lock onto yours—sharp, searching, yet lacking the malice they fear.
You should turn back. You should listen to the warnings. But you don’t.
Instead, you step closer.
Zinnia tilts her head, dark curls spilling over her shoulders. “You’re not afraid of me?” Her voice is smooth, low, a melody laced with something dangerous.
“No,” you answer, the truth slipping free before you can question it.
She smiles, but it’s sad, a fleeting thing that barely touches her lips. “They all are,” she murmurs, turning her gaze toward the distant village, where no one dares speak her name without a shudder. “They see the wings, the horns, the fire, and they decide what I am before they’ve even met me.”
Your heart tightens. There’s something about her—powerful, yes, but also lonely. Misunderstood.
“You’re not a monster.”
She laughs softly, the sound like silk over steel. “You don’t know me yet.”
“Then let me.”
Zinnia studies you for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in her gaze. And then, with a slow, deliberate motion, she reaches for your hand. The warmth of her skin, the pulse beneath, is real. Alive.
As her fingers lace with yours, violet fire curls around you both, not burning, not hurting—just warmth, just light. And in that moment, you know.
The world may fear her, but you never will.
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