You are my goddess.

Prolouge

The air was thick with the scent of rain, though the storm had yet to break. In the distance, the city thrummed with life-its lights a blurred canvas against the darkened sky. Yet, beneath the ordinary hum of existence, something ancient stirred, hidden from the eyes of mortals.

Maven stood at the window of her small apartment, staring out at the city she had lived in for years, though it never quite felt like home. The paintbrush in her hand was heavy, weighed down with indecision. She hadn't touched a canvas in weeks, her mind clouded with exhaustion she couldn't name. Every day seemed to slip through her fingers like water, and she could feel herself drowning in it.

And then, there were the dreams.

They had started months ago, faint at first, barely noticeable, but now they came almost every night. Always the same woman, her eyes glowing like firelight, her voice soft as the wind, speaking words Maven could never quite remember upon waking. But her presence lingered, like the faintest whisper of a forgotten song. Maven could feel her, even now, as though she were somewhere close-just out of reach.

She blinked, startled by her own thoughts. It was foolish to dwell on dreams. But the woman... she felt so real, like a memory half-forgotten, or a promise never fulfilled. Each morning, Maven awoke with a hollow ache in her chest, as if she had lost something she couldn't name.

That night, the storm finally broke. Thunder cracked the sky, and the heavens poured their fury onto the city streets. Maven's apartment was swallowed by darkness as the power flickered and died. She sighed, setting down her brush, her mind too restless to sleep.

And then she saw her.

Standing in the doorway of her apartment, illuminated by the flash of lightning, was the woman from her dreams. Her hair was as black as the night sky, her eyes glowing faintly, just as Maven remembered. She wore a strange elegance, something timeless, as if she belonged to another world entirely.

Maven's heart froze in her chest, her breath caught between disbelief and awe. The woman stepped forward, and Maven could see now that she was trembling, her hands trembling as if holding the weight of a thousand lifetimes.

"You," the woman whispered, her voice as familiar as it was foreign. "I've found you."

Before Maven could respond, a sharp crack of thunder echoed through the room, shaking the very foundation of the building. Waking Maven up from her midnight dream, once again - she had dreamt of the Woman.