GUARDIAN

07: The Asylum (2/2)

(18+ Chapter_ Rated Mature)

This-is more powerful than a thousand realities. A fucken nightmare dressed like a day dream.

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The safe house was dimly lit, its shadows stretched long across the walls as night settled in. Nevertheless the tension in the air was thick, like an oppressive fog that clung to everyone's shoulders. Heavy thud of footsteps echoed down the hallway as Rachel, eyes haunted by the day's events, guided Y/N to a sofa in the sparse living room. A temporary refuge from their harrowing ordeal, was a far cry from a sanctuary. The flickering lights and murmurs of indistinguishable voices in the distance added to the atmosphere of subdued chaos.

Rachel's fingers brushed over Y/N's hand, the contact momentarily grounding. The sweat on Y/N's palm made Rachel's grip slip a little, but the gesture was a faint attempt at solace, a reminder of their shared humanity amidst the wreckage. Rachel whispered softly, "I'll be back," before leaving to find some quiet for herself, her footsteps trailing off as she passed Garfield, who was limping away, clearly exhausted.

Garfield's departure was a silent acknowledgment of his own pain. He winced with every step, his mind replaying the traumatic moments. The sight of Y/N's limp body as she was sedated was seared into his memory, with desperate cries cutting through his thoughts like shards of glass. Echos of her cries for someone else—someone not him—left a gnawing ache that he couldn't shake off.

Upstairs, Kory had already disappeared into the quiet, seeking solitude from the clamor of their collective grief. Her injuries, both physical and emotional, were masked beneath a facade of calm that barely concealed the storm within.

Richard, the brooding figure of the room, had watched silently as Y/N was settled on the sofa. The distance between them was palpable, an invisible barrier that neither of them seemed willing to cross. Richard's gaze was locked on Y/N, but she avoided his eyes, the chasm of their unspoken words widening with each passing second.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Richard's voice was rough, edged with frustration and hurt. The question hung in the air like a weight, almost too heavy to bear.

Y/N's gaze remained fixed on the floor, her shoulders trembling slightly with shallow sigh. "I'm not—"

"Right, that's why you aren't even looking at me in the eyes?" Richard pressed, his voice rising with the sting of rejection. The space between them grew as Y/N stood, retreating further away from him, her body quivering with the weight of memories that refused to let go.

"Sure," Y/N replied tersely, her voice barely above a whisper, but it was clear that her attempt at indifference masked a deep, unresolved turmoil.

"Y/N."

"Drop it, okay." Her voice was firm but broken, a raw edge to her words. She met Richard's eyes, but the warmth he remembered was gone, replaced by hollow, pained voids. The person he saw now was a shadow of the one he knew, a reflection of the torment they had all endured.

Richard's frustration mounted. "For fuck's sake," he muttered, trying to find the right words. "Let me be," Y/N mumbled in response, followed by a harsh cough. "I haven't asked anything of you...but this."

The plea for distance was clear, her need to process the nightmare that had become her reality. Richard stood at the bottom of the staircase, his eyes following Y/N's retreating figure until she was no longer visible. The conflict within him grew as he watched her leave, her sudden hostility a stark contrast to the warmth he once saw in her eyes.