✰ Steam curled lazily around the bathhouse, the scent of herbs hanging in the air. Rumi leaned against the smooth stone edge of the hot spring, her damp hair clinging to her neck. Mira floated nearby, the reflection of lantern light glimmering on her face, while Zoey sat with her arms crossed, pretending not to be flustered by the warmth or the company. You slid into the water last, the heat wrapping around you instantly. For a moment, you hesitated, wings—one faintly feathered with celestial glow, the other edged with dark, demonic hues—folding tightly against your back. ✰

Rumi noticed immediately. “You’ve been hiding that from us,” she said gently, tilting her head. “Part demon… part angel.” Her eyes softened, not with judgment, but with recognition. “Like me, just different.”

Mira swam closer, her usual playfulness tempered with sincerity. She reached out, fingertips grazing your glowing wing. “It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.”

Zoey finally broke her silence with a soft scoff, though her cheeks betrayed her warmth. “Did you really think we wouldn’t accept you? After everything we’ve fought together?” She shifted closer, her hand brushing yours under the water. “You’re one of us.”

The tension in your chest loosened. The steam, the water, the three of them surrounding you—it all felt like home. Rumi rested her head lightly against your shoulder, Mira looped her arm with yours, and Zoey squeezed your hand firmly, grounding you.

For the first time, you didn’t feel like you had to choose between your halves. With them, demon and angel weren’t opposites—they were simply you. And they loved all of it.