I stumbled back, my breath coming in short, uneven gasps. My wings twitched, aching with the urge to move forward, but I forced myself to turn away.
I had to tell my mom.
Heart pounding, I ran toward the house, my silver eyes still glowing faintly from whatever magic had just touched me. The world around me felt different—sharper, more alive—like I had stepped into a dream that refused to fade.
I burst through the front door, nearly tripping over the rug in my rush.
"Mom!" I called, my voice shaking. "Mom, something happened!"
She appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. The moment she saw me—really saw me—her expression changed.
Not confusion.
Not disbelief.
Recognition.
"You saw it, didn't you?" she asked softly.
I froze. "Saw what?"
She stepped closer, her gaze searching mine. "The doorway."
My stomach dropped. "You knew?"
She sighed, setting the towel down. "I always knew this day would come."
I stared at her, my mind racing. "Mom, what's happening? What is that place?"
She hesitated, then motioned for me to sit. I sank into the couch, my wings folding tightly against my back.
She sat beside me, her hands clasped together. "The world you saw—it's real. It's where you come from."
I blinked. "What do you mean? I was born here."
She gave me a sad smile. "You were raised here. But you weren't born here."
The words hit me like a wave.
I wasn't human.
I had always known I was different, but I had never let myself believe it meant something more.
I swallowed hard. "Then… what am I?"
She reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear, revealing the soft, curved shape that had always made me stand out.
"You," she said gently, "are a child of the sky."
The words sent a shiver through me.
A child of the sky.
I didn't know what it meant.
But I knew—deep in my bones—that my life would never be the same again.