A storm had rolled in quicker than anyone had expected. The morning had started with a peaceful stillness, the sun casting a golden glow over the farm as we went about our usual work. But by mid-afternoon, the winds had picked up, whipping through the fields and bending the trees with their force. Dark clouds gathered overhead, swirling ominously, and with a low rumble of thunder, the sky opened up.

At first, it was a light drizzle, but within moments, the rain fell in torrents, drumming against the roofs and turning the dirt paths into rivers of mud. The entire landscape shifted from serene to threatening in a matter of minutes. The small river that ran alongside the farm, usually calm and shallow, had swollen into a fast-moving torrent, the water crashing against its banks, threatening to spill over.

By the time the storm hit its peak, everyone had been woken. The house shook with the force of the wind, the walls creaking as if they might give way. Ged was the first out of bed, barking orders as he moved quickly, knowing the livestock were in danger. Without them, the farm wouldn’t survive the season, and the loss would be catastrophic. Losing even a few of the animals would set the farm back so much that recovering would be near impossible.

“Reece, get to the pens! The river’s about to overflow!" Ged’s voice thundered through the house, louder than the storm itself.

Reece groaned, pulling on his boots with a scowl. “Why do I always get stuck with this job?” he muttered, but the urgency in Ged’s voice left no room for argument. Without waiting for me to follow, Reece grabbed a lantern and rushed out the door, heading straight for the lower pens where the animals were kept.

I hesitated for a moment, pulling on my boots, the air thick with tension. The animals were panicking, their frantic cries cutting through the storm like knives. I knew that if we didn’t act quickly, the rising waters would breach the pens, and there would be no saving them. The farm depended on those animals. If they drowned or were swept away, Ged’s entire livelihood would be ruined.

I grabbed my coat and followed Reece out into the storm. The rain came down so hard it felt like tiny daggers on my skin, instantly soaking me to the bone. My boots sloshed in the thick mud as I sprinted toward the pens, barely able to see through the sheets of rain.

Sophia was right behind me. I didn’t hear her at first, but as I reached the barn, her voice cut through the storm. “I’m coming with you!” she called, though she stayed back, knowing she’d only get in the way if things became dangerous. Still, I could see the worry etched on her face, the way her eyes flicked toward the animals.

The pens were in chaos. The water was rising faster than I’d anticipated, already ankle-deep and climbing. The sheep and goats were bleating in terror, crowding together against the far side of the pen, trying to escape the flood. The horses were rearing up, kicking at the gate, their eyes wide with panic. If they broke loose, they’d be gone, swept away in the raging waters.

Reece was already in the middle of it all, shouting and waving his arms as if he could control the animals by sheer force of will. “Get back! Get away from the gate!” he yelled, but the animals paid him no mind. They were too scared, too wild.

I could see it in Reece’s face—the panic that had settled in. He was out of his depth, and he knew it. He looked over his shoulder at me, desperation flickering in his eyes for a brief second, but pride held him back from asking for help.

The rain pounded down harder, the wind tearing through the trees, sending branches crashing to the ground. The noise was deafening, but underneath it all, I could hear the river, its roar growing louder, more menacing, as the water surged higher and higher.

“We need to move them now!” I shouted over the storm, stepping into the pen beside Reece. The mud sucked at my boots, making every step a struggle. “If that gate breaks, they’re gone!”

Reece gritted his teeth, his hands gripping the gate tightly as he tried to hold it shut against the force of the animals pushing against it. “I’ve got this!” he yelled, though his voice cracked with strain.

But I knew better. The water was rising too fast, and the animals were too panicked. There was no time.

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“Reece, move!” I grabbed his arm, but he shrugged me off, his pride still in control.

The gate was starting to buckle under the pressure. The horses, wild with fear, were pushing harder and harder, and I could see the metal beginning to bend.

“Reece!” I tried again, but it was too late. The gate snapped with a loud crack, and before either of us could react, Reece was thrown backward into the water. He hit the ground hard, he struggled against the torrent of water, trying to right himself.

Sophia called out from behind me, her voice carrying a desperate edge. "Ragan, do something!" She wasn’t directing it at Reece; she was pleading with me. She knew as well as I did that this was beyond Reece’s control—and that it would take more than sheer stubbornness to fix.

I could feel the conflict raging inside me, just like the river below. My whole body tensed, torn between stepping in and using what I knew—what I could do—and staying hidden. For years, I had managed to suppress my magic, using nothing but hard work and patience to get by. But this... this was different. Reece’s life was at stake, and if I didn’t act, I knew how it would end.

Don’t use it. The thought clawed at my mind, reminding me of the Arcana, of the dangers that would come crashing down on the family if anyone saw. But then, through the pouring rain, I saw it—the riverbank gave way, and Reece, too close to the edge, lost his footing.

In an instant, he was pulled under the current.

"Sophia, stay back!" I shouted as I leapt forward, my boots sinking deep into the mud. The freezing water hit me like a wall as I plunged into the river after Reece. The current was stronger than I expected, almost knocking me off my feet immediately.

Reece was thrashing, panicked, being carried further down the river, barely keeping his head above the surface. Broken branches and debris swirled around him, battering him as he tried to stay afloat. He looked at me with wide, terrified eyes, the first real crack in his bravado showing.

I waded through the water, the current dragging at my legs with every step. "Hold on!" I called out, but my voice was drowned by the roar of the river. My mind raced—there was no way I could reach him in time. The current was too fast, and Reece was slipping further away with every passing second.

And then it hit me—the answer I’d been trying to avoid. Magic. I could save him, but I knew the price. I had sworn to myself that I wouldn’t use it again, not here, not where people could see. But now? Now I had no choice.

The conflict inside me was as violent as the water, battling back and forth as I watched Reece struggle. My hands trembled, not from the cold but from the knowledge of what I was about to do. But this wasn’t just about me anymore. It was about saving Reece, no matter how much we hated each other.

Damn it.

I reached out, feeling the familiar spark of power, that hidden, pulsing energy that had lain dormant for so long. It surged through me, cold and dark, just like the river, and I focused on it, pulling at the invisible threads that connected everything around me.

The current of the water became clearer to me—the way it moved, the pull of the undertow, the eddies forming around debris. I visualized it, letting the magic guide my actions. With one hand raised toward the river, I began to weave.

The air seemed to hum around me as I shaped the magic, my hands moving as if drawing patterns in the rain. My chest tightened with the strain, the magic pulling at me, demanding more, but I focused, refusing to let it overwhelm me.

I could feel the resistance, the force of the water fighting against the energy I pushed forward. Sweat mixed with the rain on my brow as I called upon the magic, weaving a barrier just beneath the surface. It took every ounce of concentration to keep the magic from unraveling, but slowly, the water seemed to bend around Reece, easing its grip on him.

With one final effort, I pushed the current away from him, giving him the chance he needed. The water parted briefly, just enough for me to reach him, my fingers closing around his collar. I pulled with all the strength I had left, yanking him out of the water and dragging him to the muddy bank.

Reece collapsed, coughing and spitting up water, his chest heaving as he fought for air. I fell to my knees beside him, my entire body trembling from the effort it had taken to pull him out—not just physically, but the toll the magic had exacted. I felt drained, like something had been ripped out of me and left a hollow space in its place.

For a moment, all was silent except for the sound of the river rushing by and the rain still falling.

I looked up, and there she was—Sophia, standing on the bank, her eyes wide as she stared at me. She had seen everything.

“Ragan,” she whispered, her voice soft but filled with an intensity that cut through the storm. "What did you just do?"

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. All I could do was sit there, soaked to the bone, watching the unspoken understanding pass between us.

Reece silently rose to his feet and walked back to the farmhouse, he did not look at me or Sophia. My secret was now out, and the one person I didn’t want to know now knew.