Just Press Ctrl Z

Chapter 6.1

Under the blazing desert sun, Zen found herself perched atop a camel, journeying deep into the endless expanse of the desert. The camel's steady stride left infinite trails along the undulating sand dunes, propelling her towards an enigmatic destination shrouded in mystery. With that stated, another crucial thing she needed, something she would even trade her soul for at the moment was water, technically anything that would quench her thirst.

"Hey, can you get off my back if you're awake?"

A voice seemingly carried by the wind caught Zen off-guard. The camel couldn't possibly speak.

"You muttered the word 'water' at least three times. Get down, before I drop you."

Zen's eyes snapped open. A dream—it had all been a dream. There was no camel, no desert, only Raine. The whole time she thought she was riding one, Raine was carrying her on his back. The convenience store, the manager, the fight - the memories flooded back like a swarm of bees.

Reacting instinctively, Zen lashed out, her foot connecting with Raine's midsection. His balance faltered, and his body stumbled a few paces forward, while she plummeted to the ground. The surroundings shifted. The illusion of the desert dissipated into the bustling sounds of the city streets. The abrupt transition caught Zen off guard; her eyes darted around as her senses went on high alert.

With trembling hands, Zen frantically searched her pockets, and substantially relaxed when she found her phone still intact. So she hadn't been transported to some sinister operation table to have her organs harvested, or whatever the evil psychopath was planning on doing to her. The sound of the honking cars broke through her disoriented thoughts, pulling her back to the present. That was when she found herself standing on the sidewalk, surrounded by strangers lost in their own worlds. How long had Raine been carrying her?

"I'm safe," Zen whispered to herself, taking a deep, shaky breath. Not safe. Not safe at all! Her mind screamed, a sense of impending danger gripping her, the source being a certain someone's blistering gaze.

"You." Raine's voice pierced through the air, his footsteps echoing as he approached with intent. His gaze, frigid and calculating, pierced her like shards of ice as he pulled her up by the collar. "I'm not looking for another fight," he spat, releasing her from his grasp in a not-so-friendly manner.

"Why'd you bring me here?" Zen challenged, her voice trembling but resolute.

Raine narrowed his eyes, showing Zen that his patience was wearing thin. With determined strides, he closed the distance between them, his towering figure casting a shadow over her. "Did you forget?" he sneered as he leaned in. "You passed out. The manager was about to call the cops. I'd have left you, made my escape, but I won't get back what's mine if you end up in jail. So, I saved your ass."

"Fair enough," Zen conceded, her voice laced with grudging acknowledgement.

"Is that all you can say? Aren't you supposed to be, I don't know, grateful?" Raine said impatiently, his glare deepening.

"Why? You only did the bare minimum after stealing my watch," Zen shot back, glaring back twice as fierce. She was far from being scared. There were people around her, people she could scream out for help if she felt threatened. Raine couldn't harm her even if he tried.

"You've got some audacity. You're the one who stole my pendant first, you thief." Raine couldn't stand the nerve of the person before him. Hate, hate, and more hate - that was all he felt for him. "You better not have sold it off somewhere," he added.

"Why? Is it valuable?" Zen retorted, sarcasm biting with every word. Somehow, and as if all the misfortunes befalling her weren't enough, Zen found Raine's boiling rage to be oddly satisfying, even more so when she realised she was the one fanning the flames of his fury.