I knew she saw.
Of course she saw.
I lower my hands slowly. The last threads of resonance dissolve into the storm. The roof holds. The forge stands. My pulse refuses to slow.
Roseth steps toward me. No hesitation now. No careful distance. Water splashes around her boots with each step.
“What…” she says, breathless, “was that?”
I open my mouth, and whatever defense was forming dissolves before it reaches air.
The silence between us stretches tight, humming louder than the storm behind her, louder than the rain still hammering theleaves. I search for an answer that will end this conversation quickly.
None exist.
"Structural reinforcement," I venture, setting the words down like a weak hand at cards.
Her eyes narrow. Rain gathers on her lashes. A drop slips down the bridge of her nose. She does not wipe it away, just holds my gaze through it.
"Do not insult me," she says, quiet in a way that cuts deeper than volume.
"I am not insulting you."
"You held the roof in place without touching it." She exhales. "You made the air hum."
"Is there a question forming?"
"You expect me to accept structural reinforcement as an explanation." Not a question.
I open my mouth, and whatever defense was forming dissolves.
The silence between us stretches tight, humming louder than the storm behind her
"You do not get to retreat," she says, and beneath it is something with weight. "Not after that."
I turn toward the lake, hunting the horizon for anything useful. Mist has swallowed everything beyond the docks.
"You should return inside," I murmur, the words coming out carefully. "The storm has not fully passed."
She steps closer. Close enough that I can hear her breathing over the rain.
"No." She erupts.
“You react to my bells. You appear every autumn. You just saved my forge using magic you pretend not to have. You are not leaving this conversation.”
Her voice shakes. Not from fear. From fury. From something brighter beneath it.
I exhale slowly. “My mind does not experience the world as yours does.”
The words feel fragile the moment they exist.
She waits and I force the rest forward.
“Sound never stops. Magic never stops. Every resonance overlaps. Every vibration persists. Cities feel like standing inside a cathedral bell while it rings.”
Rain softens to a whisper on the roof above us.
Her expression changes. Anger loosens. Curiosity rushes in to fill the space.
