A Series of Aru Shah Oneshots

COG Chapter 33 from Aiden's POV

A/N So I did write chapter 33 from Aiden's POV...but I gave it a little twist in the middle! I felt like this scene had potential to be similar to the Sirens scene in Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters (ifykyk), so I changed it up a bit. You'll see what I mean! It was also just really fun getting into Aiden's head and figuring out what he might have been thinking during the chapter.

Aiden couldn't wait to get out of the halls of Surya.

He didn't hear or see anything, but the silence of this place raised goosebumps on his arms. He felt almost like something was watching them. He brought up the rear of the Potatoes with Brynne, scimitars drawn. 

Suddenly, the group slowed. Aiden craned his neck and saw the reason why. At the front, Aru had frozen, staring into the pillars beyond the walkway. Her eyes were wide with shock...and fear.

Some things aren't meant for us to see.

A cold feeling swept through Aiden.

"HEY!" Mini shouted. "Why are you slowing down?"

"Not because something's after us, right?" asked Rudy. "RIGHT, ARU?"

"Aru!" Aiden called out, but she didn't seem to hear him, or any of them. Her eyes glazed over. Dreamily, she started walking into the maze of pillars surrounding them.

Aiden sprinted forward, pushing aside his friends, his worry for Aru driving him.  "Aru!" he shouted, but she kept going, walking among the pillars.

Aiden did the only reasonable thing. He ran after her.

As soon as he stepped off the path, the sounds of his friends faded to silence. He looked back and saw them moving like someone had hit slow motion on a remote control. Mini was opening her mouth to shout again, Brynne was bringing her wind mace up sluggishly, and Rudy was slowly reaching for his gemstone bag. It was like Aiden had entered a space where time slowed. But he didn't have time to think about that. He needed to get to Aru.

Soon enough, he caught up to her. She had stopped in the shadow of a pillar, staring into a mirror with fog churning inside of it. 

Aiden reached out to her. "Shah--" he started.

Aru spun around abruptly, her eyes narrowing. Electricity flashed and Aiden reacted just barely in time, blocking her strike with a scimitar. Vajra pulsed angrily against the metal. 

Aiden's heart pounded as he tried to push her weapon down. Aru had attacked him. More proof that she was ensnared in some strange magic.

"It's me, Shah!" he yelled.

The words seemed to stir her. She blinked, the determination in her eyes clouding over with confusion. Yet she didn't lower the lightning bolt. Slowly, she turned to check the mirror again. But if she did, it would bring her under its spell, and Aiden would lose her to it.

"This place is playing tricks on you, Shah," Aiden said, grabbing her shoulder. "Focus on me. Look at me."

He layered his voice, tapping into his apsara powers. It was the one thing he could think of that might counteract the magic of this gods-forsaken hall. 

"It's going to be okay, Shah. I know you're scared, but we're here for you. We've got you, and we'll fix this...together. But first we have to get out."

Aru stilled as his words washed over her. She closed her eyes. Aiden waited for a heartbeat...two heartbeats...three heartbeats...

When she finally looked at him again, he knew immediately that this was Aru. His Aru.