POV: Melody Between Two Worlds

The air in Pixel & Fangs feels heavy tonight, but maybe it’s just me. The others are tense—Finn growling low about how we’re always one step behind, Raven lurking in her corner like she’s not ready to snap at someone (probably Finn), Lucian brooding as usual, and Zoe...

Zoe’s light is dim tonight. That scares me more than anything.

I hum softly under my breath, the kind of tune that usually makes people smile, but it’s not working. Not on them, not on me. My fingers tap nervously against the counter as I try to focus on the ley line map, glowing faintly on the table. It hums with a rhythm that’s almost musical, but wrong, like an instrument just slightly out of tune.

“You okay?” Zoe’s voice startles me. I look up to find her watching me, her light flickering faintly at her fingertips. She’s exhausted—her eyes give it away—but she’s still worried about me.

I force a smile. “Yeah. Just... thinking.”

She nods like she understands, but I know she doesn’t. Not really. Zoe’s the Lightbearer. She’s steady, unwavering, always moving forward, even when she’s tired. Me? I’m a faerie caught between two worlds, too human for the Court, too magical for the town.

Zoe turns back to the map, and I let out a quiet breath. I don’t want to talk about what’s really on my mind, because it’ll just sound like whining. But it’s there, sitting heavy in my chest like a stone.

I don’t know who I am anymore.

My whole life, I’ve been split down the middle. Faerie magic on one side, human heart on the other. And for the most part, I’ve been okay with it. I’ve balanced the two. I’ve made it work.

But lately? The balance is slipping.

I can feel the Court pulling at me, whispering in the back of my mind. The Transformation Line’s instability didn’t help. It woke something up in me—something old and fae and wild that doesn’t care about this town or these people.

And then there’s the other side of me, the human side, that just wants to belong. To feel like I’m part of something. This team, this town—they’ve started to feel like home. But every time I think I’ve found my place, something reminds me that I’m not really one of them.

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“Melody, you’re doing it again,” Finn says, breaking through my thoughts.

“Doing what?” I ask, forcing another smile.

“Staring off into space like you’re trying to solve the meaning of life,” he says with a smirk.

“Maybe I am,” I say lightly, trying to brush it off.

Finn’s grin softens, and for a second, I think he’s going to say something serious. But instead, he just shrugs and turns back to the map.

I glance at Zoe again. Her light is steady now, brighter than before, and I feel that familiar pang of admiration—and guilt. She makes this look easy. She carries so much, and she doesn’t let it show.

I wish I could be like her.

But the truth is, I’m scared.

I’m scared that one day, I’ll have to choose between the Court and the team, and I won’t make the right choice. I’m scared that the faerie part of me is getting stronger, and I won’t be able to control it. I’m scared that when this fight is over, I won’t belong anywhere.

The shadows shift slightly, and I realize Raven is watching me from her corner. Her gaze is sharp, but there’s no judgment there. If anything, it feels like she understands.

“Don’t let them see you sweat,” she says quietly, just loud enough for me to hear.

I nod, even though I don’t entirely believe her.

The map hums again, and I close my eyes, letting the rhythm steady me. My magic thrums faintly under my skin, a reminder of the world I left behind—and the one I’m trying to protect.

I hum a tune under my breath, soft and steady. It’s not much, but it’s enough to keep me going.

For now.