Love's Dark Legacy

|C and H

It was one of those rare afternoons when everything just seemed to line up—perfect weather, perfect vibes, and nothing pressing to do. Herculeana and Celia decided to skip their usual busy hangout spots in favor of something quieter. They ended up at a secluded beachside park, tucked away from the bustling city. The waves lapped gently against the shore, and the sun hung low in the sky, casting an orange hue over everything.

Herculeana's phone was connected to a portable speaker, pumping out her favorite playlist of dancehall music, with Najeerii's upbeat tracks blending into the sound of the ocean. She wore a loose button-down shirt over her tank top and had her hair up in a messy bun, looking relaxed but still carrying that edge of seriousness she could never quite shake off. Her feet tapped to the beat as she walked along the shoreline, letting the music move through her.

Celia, meanwhile, was her usual lively self—bouncing slightly as she walked beside Herculeana, her blond hair catching the sunlight like a halo. She was talking a mile a minute about something that happened in class earlier, but her stories always seemed to blend into one another. Herculeana didn't mind. She liked that Celia filled the silence.

They reached a small alcove shaded by palm trees and plopped down on the warm sand. Celia stretched out her arms and sighed happily.

"God, I love it here," Celia said, tilting her head back to look at the sky. "No noise, no drama... just this."

Herculeana smirked and took a sip of her iced drink. "Yeah, well, enjoy it while it lasts. Knowing us, drama isn't far off."

Celia laughed, nudging her. "True. But that's why we need these moments. To balance it all out. You know?"

Herculeana nodded, but her mind was elsewhere for a moment. Music always brought her back to memories, and lately, her mind had been wandering to darker places. The nightmares, the visions—they were creeping into her waking hours now. She could feel the weight of something looming, something that would change everything. But for now, she let herself relax. Celia had that effect on her.

"Remember when we used to come here after school? Back when we were, like, twelve?" Celia said

Herculeana smiled, the memory lighting up her eyes. "Yeah, we'd skip last period sometimes just to hang out here. You always brought those ridiculous magazines, and we'd read them like they were some kind of holy scripture."

Celia grinned. "Gossip mags, I swear there's like hardly anymore of those now, my mom sells them for like three hundred dollars,"

"Really? Wait what about the one with Marilyn Monroe on the cover? That must be a fortune"

"Girl she's letting that one marinate a bit, right now it's three thousand, in a couple of years it will raise"

"Hmmm" Herculeana said resorting back to the music

"Remember the quizzes tho" Celia said refusing to let the conversation die down

"You were obsessed with those quizzes," Herculeana teased. "Like, 'Which celebrity would be your soulmate based on your zodiac sign?' You were convinced you'd end up with some pop star."

Celia laughed. "And you always refused to take them! You were too cool for it even back then."

"Not too cool," Herculeana corrected, smirking. "Just didn't think I needed a quiz to tell me what I already knew."

"Right, because you had it all figured out," Celia said, rolling her eyes but grinning. "Even when we were kids, you always seemed like you knew where your life was going."

Herculeana fell silent for a moment, staring out at the ocean. The waves were steady, rhythmic. She liked that. The predictability of it. But lately, life hadn't been anything like that. She thought she had her future mapped out once. But things had changed, and now the path ahead seemed foggy, uncertain.