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Chapter 7 - Chapter 7- Ancient Girl Energy

Rhiannan POV

The sea breeze was calm today, but my brain? Absolutely not. I leaned against the railing of Arwen's ship, trying to chill… and failing miserably.

I had just learned that I was no longer anywhere near Earth 2025.

No, ma'am. I was in Andopeer, a freaking magic planet, in the year 3260.

I'd time traveled over a thousand years into the future by stepping on a glowing disc that looked like something Etsy would sell under "witchy moon coasters." What the actual fuck.

My fingers hovered over my smart bracelet as I tapped through Faenet's user dashboard. It was like Facebook and Star Trek had a baby, raised it in a crystal cave, and gave it trauma.

I typed into the search bubble:

"How many people have time traveled from Earth to Andopeer?"

Results: 1

Rhiannan (You)

Status: Registered Divine Class Goddess Potential Confirmed

"Holy shit."

I scrolled down to check my profile, and nearly choked on air. Because Faenet had helpfully auto posted my public status update.

🌀 New Divine User Registered!

✨ Rhiannan (No House, No Clan, Unknown Lineage)

📍 Current Location: Sailing east to the Tower of Madness

🕰️ Estimated Arrival: 3.5 hours

🗣️ Public Tag: "Time Traveled Goddess from the Lost Earth Realm"

The comment section was already blowing up.

👤@FaeTeaTruther: She's either a fraud or the prophecy incarnate. I'm betting both.

👤@MoistMagicMimi: Why does she look like a snack though??? That auburn hair is giving ancient temptress vibes.

👤@ShifterDaddyIssues: She's with Arwen Goldendale?! THAT royal dropout??? This is gonna be messy.

👤@DivineWatchers: Y'all. Her magic signature broke the algorithm. We had to reset the server.

#WhoTFIsRhiannan

#ArwenHasAGoddessNow?!

#TimeHoeFromOhio

I groaned, dragging my hands down my face. "Arwen, why is the entire planet stalking me?!"

He looked up from where he was checking the sails, smirking. "Welcome to being bonded to me, love. I used to be... a little famous."

"A little? You broke my notifications." I jabbed at my wrist like it owed me money.

Arwen shrugged, trying not to look smug. "Don't worry. It'll die down. Eventually."

I stared out at the horizon, the shape of a crooked tower now visible against the distant cliffs. "That Cal guy better have answers. Because I have a metric fuckton of questions."

The creatures around me cooed, chirped, and wiggled like backup dancers. They didn't care what year it was. They just wanted snacks.

A wave of nausea, emotion, and just pure cosmic WTF hit me in the chest, and I turned away from the rail to breathe. Arwen was suddenly behind me, steadying me with a hand on my waist.

"You okay?"

"I'm trying not to dissociate into a feral scream again," I muttered.

His voice was calm. "You're doing amazing. And Cal will help. He's... eccentric. But brilliant."

I wasn't sure if I wanted to meet a wizard named "Cal the Mad" or if I needed to punch him for letting this bullshit prophecy exist in the first place.

One thing was clear: This wasn't just a photo shoot gone wrong anymore.

This was the start of something huge.

The sun was setting low, casting a golden sheen across the deck like the sea itself was trying to calm me. The chaos of Faenet still buzzed in my mind, scrolling posts, wild theories, and unsolicited marriage proposals from fire elves.

I couldn't take it anymore.

I slipped away from the main deck, down into the private quarters Arwen had shown me. The room was warm, cozy, lit with enchanted lanterns that flickered in sync with the ocean's pulse. It smelled like sea salt, cedarwood, and something distinctly him.

I didn't hear him come in. But I felt him.

"Hey," he said softly behind me, voice a little rough.

I didn't turn. "They're calling me a divine time hoe from Ohio."

Arwen chuckled under his breath, then stepped up beside me. "You're a goddess. It was bound to stir some noise."

"I don't feel like one," I whispered. "I feel… lost. Like a mistake. Like I tripped and fell through time and now I'm just fucking everything up." Tears fell down my cheeks and I furiously wiped them away with my sleeve.

His hand brushed my arm, tentative. "You're not a mistake."

I looked up at him, that golden green eye so open, so real. "Why are you being so gentle with me?"

He blinked. "Because I'm terrified."

That caught me off guard. "You're terrified?"

Arwen nodded. "I've faced sea monsters, pirate kings, even the wrath of my own family. But you? You're… you're the first thing I've cared about in so long, I don't know what to do with it."

The silence between us stretched, warm and trembling.

"Why me?" I asked. "You could've ignored the bond. Denied it."

He stepped closer, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "Because when I saw you, bloody and glowing and cussing out the wind like you were born of storms… I knew. My soul did, anyway. And because you saved your heart, your fire, your body, for someone who'd earn it. And you gave it to me."

Tears welled in my eyes. "I didn't mean to."

He smiled, gently cupping my jaw. "Neither did I. But I'd die to protect it now."

The weight of his words hit me like a tidal wave, and I buried my face in his chest. He held me like I was breakable. Like he'd never let the world touch me again.

"Are you going to run?" I asked into his shirt, wishing with my entire being that he wouldn't say yes.

"No," he murmured into my hair. "I'm going to fight beside you, bond or no bond. Goddess or not."

We stood there for what felt like hours, just wrapped around each other, the only sound our breathing and the creak of the ship.

I pulled back enough to press my forehead to his. "I don't know how this ends."

"Neither do I," he said. "But I know where I want to be."

He kissed my brow, slow and reverent. I didn't stop him. I didn't pull away. And for the first time in days, the ache in my chest eased.

Not gone. But gentler.

Maybe this was what trust felt like.

And maybe, just maybe, I could get used to it.

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