(Not a poem!!)

The piano keys felt like a second language to Athena, their melody flowing through her fingers as if they whispered secrets only she could understand. In this sanctuary, tucked away from the world, she became one with the music—her heart beating in time with each note, a hymn of sorrow and longing. The rain outside lashed against the cracked windows, a soft, persistent drumbeat, as if nature itself mirrored the ache within her. The room was hers alone, the ocean’s dark expanse stretching beyond the balcony, but the world felt distant, irrelevant, as her hands danced over the keys.

The music grew, swelled, like the storm itself—fierce and raw. Each chord was a confession, each melody a quiet plea. Hours passed unnoticed, the moon rising to watch her, and still, she played.

Then, the familiar sensation crept back—the prickle of being watched. She faltered, breath catching. Her fingers hovered over the keys, instinctively drawn toward the balcony. There, standing against the rain-soaked railing, was the creature—Zareth, standing behind the glass. His eyes, dark and haunting, held hers. A chill washed over her, yet she didn’t look away.

“Don’t stop on my account, please,” his voice was smooth, rich with an undercurrent of something she couldn’t name.

Athena swallowed, the tension thick between them, before reluctantly sitting back at the piano. The keys felt different now—more intimate. Her fingers resumed their dance, softer this time, the forgotten song returning to her in a rush. The melody, so long buried, emerged like a whisper from her past—haunting, beautiful.

When the last note faded, a slow, deliberate clap filled the silence. Zareth’s smile tugged at the corners of his lips, amused, almost tender.

“I could hear your beautiful melody,” he said, his voice low, each word a caress.

Athena’s heart skipped. She had never expected him to say such things. But the weight of his gaze, the intensity in his tone—it made her feel something beyond words. She caught her breath, words escaping her as she tried to regain some semblance of composure.

“You truly believe that?” she asked, her voice betraying the flutter in her chest.

Zareth stepped closer—but still behind the glass, his presence overwhelming, and for a moment, his gaze softened, revealing something more vulnerable than she’d ever seen. “I don’t just believe it, darling,” he murmured, his voice now a quiet promise. _“I know it.”_

Note, if you care enough to read lol,

So…this is from the book i’m writing, execept i’ve already put another exerpt from my book on here, except I chose different names from them in the last one, because I was indecisive!