aru shah fan fiction

assassins au: twelve p. ii

s u y o d h a n a

a few weeks prior...

"What do you have for me? Have you found her yet?"

The young guard stood respectfully with his hands intertwined behind his back, eyes never breaking contact with the ground. The golden Tavasthan crest on his coat breast pocket glinted triumphantly against the navy blue material, the light catching the leopard's head. The Sleeper gazed down at the guard from his extravagant royal seat, eyes glinting with subtle anticipation and the unbroken confidence of a powerful monarch.

"Yes, sir," the young man stated. "According to her records, she is currently a trainee at Oksaana Academy of Military Arts. Current status is a Phoenix in the Phoenix Division. She excels in all her subjects, but Adadhan History is her weakest field. Prominent acquaintances include Jenny Yeeun Hahn, Ethan Park, and Aiden Acharya."

The Sleeper inclined his head slightly. "Thank you," he began. What was left of his humanity felt torn that he knew so little about his daughter, even having to ask someone else to retrieve information about her, but the thoughts were quickly shoved aside. When things all fell according to plan, he would be able to ask Aru all he wanted to for the rest of his days. "Anything else?" he continued.

"Yes," the guard had not moved from his position. "Arundhati was spotted by our spies aiding Adadhan citizens in the recent attack we launched against the kingdom. I'm sure you recall that attack, sir. She was seen with two other people who fit the descriptions of Jenny Hahn and Ethan Park."

The Sleeper nodded, feeling satisfied with the report. He waved a dismissive hand at the guard, feeling the twitch of a smile on his cheek. "You are dismissed."

The young man bowed, right hand over his heart in a respectful gesture. He exited the room swiftly, footsteps silent against the plush, dark throne room carpet. The Sleeper let his eyes stray to the circular window on his right, the white frame of it perfectly outlining the rising sun. It was the start of a new day–the sun, the morning star, casting vivid orangish-blue streaks across the sky.

Soon, The Sleeper thought. I'll have my own morning star back.

Very soon.

—

a r u

It's taught that the body is made up of cells and organs and systems, and every single component plays a role in ensuring the healthy functioning of a person. Certain parts of the body react to certain events or occurrences. For example, different parts of the brain perform various functions depending on the messages sent to it. However, Aru preferred looking at things from an imaginative standpoint rather than a scientific one. She liked to think of her brain as one large switch. At the slightest hint of danger, the switch flipped from I Could Use A Nap to I Feel Like Someone Just Shot Me Fifty Times With A Caffeine Gun. Set on the latter mode, Aru felt all her senses heightened, hypersensitive to any sound, abnormality or physical feeling.

She knew her flip had switched when sprinting didn't even set a fire in her lungs, as opposed to what it typically did. The only thing Aru could focus on was reaching the site of danger, moving increasingly faster with each step. Her heart pounded at twice the speed her legs were moving, but Aru knew it wasn't just the rush of exercise. The identical steps of Aiden next to her were reassuring, reminding her she wasn't going into this alone.