Chapter 1: The Place We Broke
1759 Words
The garden still smelled like moonblossoms.
Benson hated that.
It was a soft, sweet scent—too soft, too gentle, too perfect. The kind of scent that belonged to the Healing Kingdom. The kind that clung to everything here like a reminder that this place was untouched by flaws.
Untouched by people like him.
He stood beneath the silver archway, his fingers brushing against the smooth vines curling along the stone. They glowed faintly beneath his touch, reacting to the magic in the air.
Not his magic.
Never his.
A quiet scoff slipped past his lips.
Even the plants knew the difference.
The garden stretched out before him, bathed in soft luminescent light from the floating orbs above. The same light that had once reflected in her eyes when she laughed. The same path they used to walk side by side, whispering secrets like the world didn’t exist beyond these walls.
Back when she didn’t look at him like he was something she had to outgrow.
Back when he didn’t feel like a mistake every time he stepped into a room.
He shouldn’t have come here.
He knew that.
This place wasn’t his anymore.
Maybe it never was.
Still… his feet had brought him here without thinking. Like muscle memory. Like some part of him hadn’t gotten the message yet—that whatever he and Raylee had… was over.
Gone.
Dead.
“Still lurking in corners, Benson?”
Her voice.
It sliced through the quiet like a blade wrapped in silk.
Soft.
Familiar.
Distant.
His chest tightened before he could stop it.
For a second—just a second—he considered not turning around. Pretending he hadn’t heard her. Pretending she didn’t still have that effect on him.
But that would be a lie.
And he was tired of pretending.
He turned slowly.
Raylee stood across the garden path, framed by the glow of the night orbs like something out of a dream. Pale healing silks draped over her figure, shimmering faintly with every subtle movement. Her long hair fell in perfect waves, catching the light like strands of spun gold.
She looked exactly the same.
Exactly like she was supposed to.
Flawless.
Untouchable.
A princess.
The future of the Healing Kingdom.
And suddenly, painfully, not his.
“You used to like this place,” she added, tilting her head slightly as if this were nothing more than a casual encounter. As if they hadn’t spent years building something here—only for her to walk away from it like it meant nothing.
Benson let out a quiet breath, something bitter curling beneath it.
“I used to like a lot of things.”
The words came out low, edged.
He didn’t miss the way her expression flickered—just for a moment. A crack in the perfect mask.
Then it was gone.
Just like everything else.
“I didn’t come here to argue,” she said.
“Then why did you come?”
He didn’t mean for it to come out like that.
Sharp.
Accusing.
But maybe part of him did.
Because if she thought she could just walk in here—after weeks of ignoring him, of acting like he didn’t exist—and talk to him like nothing had changed…
She was wrong.
Raylee hesitated.
And that—more than anything—threw him off.
Raylee didn’t hesitate.
She was raised to be certain. To be composed. To know exactly what to say and when to say it.
Seeing her falter… even for a heartbeat… sent something strange through him.
“I heard you were here,” she said finally. “I thought it would be better if we talked.”
A humorless laugh slipped from his lips before he could stop it.
Now she wanted to talk?
After avoiding him like he was something contagious?
After pretending he didn’t exist unless protocol demanded it?
“About what?” he asked, stepping forward slightly. “You ignoring me? Or you pretending we were never—”
He cut himself off.
Because even now, standing in front of her, he didn’t know what word to use.
Friends?
More than that?
Something that had never been allowed to fully exist?
Raylee’s jaw tightened, just enough for him to notice.
“You’re making this harder than it needs to be.”
“No,” Benson said quietly, his gaze locking onto hers. “You did that.”
The air shifted.
It was subtle, but he felt it—the way the magic around them stirred, responding to tension like it had a mind of its own.
That was the thing about the Healing Kingdom.
Everything listened.
Everything reacted.
Everything… belonged.
Except him.
“You know how things work,” Raylee said, her voice lowering, slipping into that controlled tone she used when she was trying to stay calm. “I can’t just—”
“Can’t just what?” he cut in, taking another step closer. “Talk to me? Be seen with me?”
Her silence was loud.
Deafening.
It wrapped around them like a truth neither of them wanted to say out loud.
“I get it,” Benson muttered, stepping back before he did something stupid—like say what he was really thinking. “You have an image to protect.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?” His eyes lifted again, sharp and cold, reflecting the glow of the orbs above. “You’re the future of the Healing Kingdom, Raylee. Surrounded by the strongest healers in existence.”
His voice dropped.
“And then there’s me.”
He didn’t need to explain.
She knew.
Everyone knew.
The boy who couldn’t heal.
The one flaw in a kingdom built on perfection.
The one person who didn’t belong.
Raylee looked away.
And that—more than anything—hurt.
Because she used to look at him like he was the only thing that mattered.
“It’s more complicated than that,” she said quietly.
Benson let out a soft, humorless laugh.
“It always is with you.”
A beat passed between them.
Heavy.
Unspoken.
Then—
“You’re with Rainer now, right?”
The question slipped out before he could stop it.
It hung in the air like something dangerous.
Raylee didn’t answer immediately.
Which was answer enough.
Something in his chest shifted.
Not breaking.
That had already happened.
This was something else.
Something quieter.
Colder.
Like acceptance settling in where hope used to be.
“Yeah,” he said softly. “That makes sense.”
Raylee took a step toward him. “Benson—”
But he was already backing away.
Because he couldn’t do this again.
Couldn’t stand here and pretend like he didn’t still feel something every time she said his name.
Couldn’t keep being the one who cared more.
“We’re done here,” he said.
And this time—
He meant more than just the conversation.
He turned, the gravel crunching softly beneath his boots as he walked away.
He didn’t look back.
Didn’t stop.
Didn’t give her the chance to say whatever it was she was about to say.
Because it didn’t matter.
Not anymore.
Right?
…
The moment he stepped out of the garden, the air changed.
The soft warmth of the Healing Kingdom faded into something cooler, sharper. The glow of the orbs dimmed behind him, replaced by the colder light of the palace corridors.
He exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through his silver-white hair.
His head felt… off.
Like something was shifting just beneath the surface.
A faint pressure built behind his eyes.
At first, he thought it was just the conversation.
The tension.
The way his chest still felt tight, like he hadn’t fully exhaled yet.
But then—
It got stronger.
A flicker.
A whisper.
Something… brushing against his mind.
Benson froze.
“What the—”
The world around him stuttered.
Just for a second.
The hallway blurred at the edges, the walls stretching and twisting like a reflection in water.
He blinked hard.
Everything snapped back into place.
Silence.
Stillness.
His breath came a little faster now.
“That… wasn’t normal.”
A faint laugh left him, shaky and uncertain.
Of course it wasn’t normal.
Nothing about him ever was.
He pushed off the wall, shaking his head as he started walking again.
He needed to get out of here.
Needed to clear his head.
Sleep, maybe.
Yeah.
Sleep sounded good.
…
That night, the dreams came.
But they didn’t feel like dreams.
They felt real.
Too real.
Benson stood in a place he didn’t recognize—an endless stretch of silver mist curling around his feet. The air shimmered, humming with something powerful, something ancient.
He wasn’t alone.
He could feel it.
A presence.
Watching.
Waiting.
“Hello?”
His voice echoed strangely, like it didn’t fully belong to him.
No answer.
But the mist shifted.
Parting slowly.
And then—
A figure.
Feminine.
Blurry at the edges.
But getting clearer with every step she took toward him.
Benson’s breath caught.
Because something about her felt…
Familiar.
Not like he knew her.
But like he should.
Like his mind was reaching for something it couldn’t quite grasp.
“You’re late,” she said.
Her voice was soft.
But it echoed like it carried weight beyond the space they stood in.
Benson frowned slightly. “Do I… know you?”
She tilted her head, studying him.
For a moment, she didn’t answer.
Then, slowly—
“You will.”
A chill ran down his spine.
“What does that mean?”
But she didn’t respond.
Instead, she stepped closer.
Closer.
Until she was right in front of him.
Close enough that he could almost make out her features.
Almost.
Her hand lifted.
Hesitating just before touching his chest.
Right over his heart.
And the second her fingers made contact—
The world exploded into light.
A sharp, blinding pulse shot through him, stealing the air from his lungs.
Benson gasped—
And jolted upright in his bed.
His chest heaved, his heart racing like he’d just run for miles.
The room was dark.
Silent.
Normal.
But his body didn’t feel normal.
His chest burned.
Right where she touched him.
Slowly, cautiously, he pressed his hand over the spot.
“…What the hell was that?”
His voice was barely a whisper.
But the question lingered in the air.
Unanswered.
And somewhere deep inside him—
That same pull stirred again.
Stronger this time.
Like something had just begun.
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