ii. heart of glass

life is simply a collection of moments stolen by the beholder. and eve knew this better than anyone, for when you're heart's made of glass you pick your moments wisely and hold them close. however, there was one moment that was handed to eve, one she kept tucked away from the world. it was more of a memory than a moment, given to her from her mother. it was the only thing she knew or had that related to her. or at least, that's what she believed.

the memory starts with a woman staring at herself in the water. this was the perspective eve had, the one of the woman's. and in the reflection a pair of deep, dark, mystic blue that looked like eve's. and once the woman grew wary of looking into the water, she peered down at the child in her arms.

you'll be stronger than the others. those were words she thought but didn't dare speak out loud, for admitting the presence of strong power, especially in such a youthful being was dangerous. there were too many dangers lurking in the shadows and waters, waiting to steal the next much powerful creature and raise them as their own. and the memory begins to fade after the woman thinks these things and starts rubbing her thumb across the child's cheek. but before eve's thrown back into her present state, the child opens their eyes-the very same blue the woman saw in her reflection.

when she resurfaces from the memory, eve sucks in a breath and braids her hair into two braids. this memory fuels her to keep going and focus on searching for answers she's longed to know. by the time she's collected her gear and taken down her camp, the stars have fully emerged from the shadows and the moon lights the path toward the water. something she once trusted when she was younger.

but eve knows better than to go toward the water. her last encounter left her shaken and soaked to the bone, with fears too dark to mention and secrets far too vicious to think. eve no longer believes in the aid of the water nor the guide it once promised her. instead, she ignores the path as she's done for seasons now, and walks deeper into the woods. and although the moons takes allegiance with the sea, the stars have encrypted their truths within eve's soul. every so often they whisper their confessions with hidden meanings and wisdoms they know she'll find, so she can use them when problems arise.

there was once a little boy who wished on me, one of the stars murmured, giving eve an ounce of their power. and when we couldn't do ask he asked, he didn't stop believing in us.