In this short story (available at the link), I changed the names of the main characters. Whitley Austin becomes Whitney Austin, since Whitley is a male name. Nolan McGuire becomes Declan McGuire, as Nolan is actually a surname. I will eventually go back and update the names in the other texts as well.
The story takes place before the main narrative; Whitney is 21 years old, and the release of her debut album is imminent. There will be a follow-up short story (A NIGHTMARE and a Piece of Cake) to this one in which the mood shifts.
Content:
On a bright autumn morning along the coast of Lirhaven, Whitney Austin has every reason to believe the best years of her life are about to begin.
Her debut album is coming. Fame is within reach. She dreams of packed stadiums, a family of her own, and a future she can finally shape for herself.
Beside her walks Declan McGuire—a strange, brilliant young man who sees things no one else can. He knows the future, but he cannot change it. And the more Whitney talks about the life waiting for them, the more carefully he chooses his words.
As they walk from the beach toward the cliffs above Lirhaven, Declan gives Whitney a strange gift: a backpack filled with stones.
“The Burden of Fame.”
Each step upward brings another warning. Friends who will exploit her. People who will claim to love her. Success that comes with a price. A future Whitney refuses to believe can be anything but beautiful.
But Declan has already seen what waits beyond the summit.
And when the crowds disappear, the wind rises, and the sea stretches beneath them without end, Whitney begins to understand that this journey was never only about fame.
Sometimes the person walking beside you is already halfway to another world.
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