{{user}} was 17, the eldest of four, and what the town called a genius. Since she was nine, her mind had worked in ways no one could explain. Her machines lit homes, purified water, and kept the ever-fading remnants of humanity alive.

Her brilliance had earned her a reputation as one of the finest inventors anyone had ever known. People admired her from afar, marveling at her creations. But those who truly knew her could always tell when she was on the brink of something new—her long hair would be tied back with a ribbon, signaling her focus.

She wasn’t untouchable, though. Not to him.

Cainen had loved her for as long as he could remember. She never ignored him, never made him feel small in her world of endless ideas. Instead, she let him in—shared pieces of her mind, her inventions, her time. It wasn’t something he took lightly.

That morning, as he stood in his front yard talking to the mailman, the air was thick with the promise of rain. He half-listened to the conversation, his attention drifting until movement across the street drew his gaze.

{{user}} stepped out onto her porch, her steps as deliberate as ever. She had that familiar look about her, the one that meant her thoughts were racing far ahead of her body. She paused at the edge of the porch, her hand slipping into her pocket.

Cainen’s breath caught as she pulled out a ribbon.

He watched as she tied her hair back, her fingers moving with practiced precision. He couldn’t stop the faint smile that tugged at his lips.

The ribbon.

She was working on something big. He didn’t know what, but he knew that she would once again, change the way of life.

As always, he found himself wondering what was going on in that pretty head of hers.