A Love Worth Dying For

Aria Reverie trudged through the snow, rubbing her hands together to warm themselves. A shiver ran through her, causing her to slow. She breathed out warm air in her hands, rubbing them again to spread the warmth. Her coat rippled in the cold air, pushing her to move forward. No use in standing in the cold; it would only freeze her to death. She was the one that got her car stuck in the snowstorm, and now she was walking to who knows where to find a place to stay warm from the storm. With that, Aria made her way in the blizzard to safety.
The blizzard came from nowhere, dumping snow on the bustling city of Lefebvre a few nights ago and giving little sprinkles throughout the next few days. Everyone grumbled when they shoveled the snow off their cars, walkways, and flower gardens, but it happened around this time of year, even if they didn't live close to the Doshvid Mounts.
Flakes blurred her vision, but Aria trudged onward. There was one place where she could stay the night, or at least long enough for the blizzard to subside enough for her to find her car and get back home. The place had always been a second home to her. As soon as she had called her friend after being stranded in the snow, asking if she could stay, he quickly said that she could.
Aria shivered in her fur coat, but the chill was swept away when she lifted her gaze at the place of refuge: The Pacifique Café.
Pushing the glass doors open, the warm air shocked her for a second, but then felt comfortable and cozy. A relieved sigh escaped her lips as she stomped the snow off her boots, and hung her coat on a hook. She shook her hands off, her cheeks still cold compared to the warm atmosphere. Aria rubbed her hands once more, getting the blood moving enough to warm them up.
The café had a cozy feel to it. A fireplace crackled in the back of the room, casting a warm orange light on any who drew near. The polished wooden boards creaked slightly, but didn't make her feel uncomfortable. Tables were scattered here and there with a bar area by the large window on the left side, where the register was. To the right led into another room similar to the main lobby, but Aria paid no attention to it.
Glancing around, there were only two people: A Meidese girl with dark blue hair typing something on a computer in the corner and a Dosh young man looking out at the snow, as if remembering something pleasant.
Feeling warmer now, Aria looked down at herself and brushed off any stray bits of sn––
"Aria!"
Before she could look up to see who said her name, arms wrapped around her in a hug, warming her to the core. Aria smiled and returned the hug, letting the warmth wash over and calm her.
"Hey, Kai." Aria pulled away and looked up, smiling deeper. "Nice to see that you're still here."
"I thought the snow ate you!" Kai Atlas exclaimed with a snarky smirk, his dark curly hair bouncing along with his excited tone. He grabbed her hand gently, starting to pull her to the room off to the right. "C'mon! You've got to see the new sofas Ma and Pa put in!"
Her eyebrow lifted as she was pulled along. "Aren't you supposed to be at the register? Y'know... Doing your job like a normal person?"
"Nah, Lin's taking care of that," he replied, before something looking very reminiscent of a shoe smacked him in the side of his head. "Ow!" Kai rubbed his head, turning to the counter. "What was that for?!"
"Making me do more work," a slightly annoyed voice called out. Aria followed Kai's gaze to see his younger sister folding her arms, her dark blue eyes––much like Kai's––playful. She had the same dark bouncy hair, except it fell to her shoulders.
Laylin Atlas regarded them with skepticism. "You better not spend your whole shift with her and not do actual work."
"Oh, come on!" Kai shrugged, leaving his hands in the air. "When have I ever––"
Another shoe hit him in the middle of his forehead.
"Okay, okay! I get it, Lin. Lights, I won't be too long."
Laylin turned to her work, mixing up something in a cup. "You better."
"Uh huh, sure," he muttered, rolling his eyes in his sister's direction. Kai grabbed Aria's hand again as she chuckled at the sibling interaction, and led her down the small staircase to the room on the right. He gestured to the small room for her to survey, smiling.
It wasn't a large room. It never had been. There was nobody else with them, due to the storm driving away customers, but there had never been a whole lot of people in this room on days when there wasn't a blizzard. The wood floor and paneling had a darker tone in this room than the main lobby, the colors giving off a calmer atmosphere. The lounge area was specifically designed like that, giving the patrons a place to calm down when their life was going rough.
A huge window that took up the whole wall off to the right gave a full view of the snowstorm for those that sat on the sofas. It seemed to be calmer––beautiful even––now that she could view it from the comforts and warmth of the indoors. A few small, hanging plants in the corners gave the room a splash of color, reminding the patrons there was life here. The sofas looked inviting as ever, more inviting this time than the other ones that had been there before they were replaced. It was just the home she never had, but secretly wanted.
Kai strode over to one of the sofas facing the window, running a hand over the back as if it were a new car. "We found 'em at Nalkens down the street," he stated, sounding proud. "They made 'em a few weeks ago. We're lucky to get them while they were still there, even if they're not really broken in yet." He plopped himself down on the couch, patting the cushion next to him, grinning from ear to ear. "Come! Sit."
"You're very excited over literal couches," Aria laughed.
"What? We got them at a good price and they're really comfortable. There a problem with it?"
"No, it's just I haven't seen you this excited over anything in a long time."
"It's these little things that make me happy, you know this. Plus, the old sofas were boring compared to the rest of the café."
"I thought the old sofas were fine. They held up. They were comfortable to sleep on with––"
"Will you just please just sit on them before we argue?" he pleaded, giving her big, begging eyes.
Aria laughed again, rolling her eyes. "Must be very serious. You never pull out the puppy eyes unless it's something I need to do," she said with a drawn out sigh, sitting down next to him on the couch.
He was right, Aria thought with surprise as she immediately got comfortable. They are better than the old sofas.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him as she rested her head on his shoulder. Kai lowered his head, lips inches from her ear. "Admit I was right," he whispered softly in her ear. "The sofas are more comfortable than the old ones."
"Oh, shush yourself." Aria pushed his head away with a smile.
Laughing, Kai gave a soft peck on her temple. "This is why we're friends."
"Wouldn't be the same if one of us weren't stubborn."
"True that." Kai leaned back, the room completely silent as he watched the snowy scene in front of them. "How was work?"
"Boring as usual, thank the lights," she said as the flakes fell harder. "Ko'ad forbid, if any one of the three customers that had came in today complained about the weather, Aokari would've blown a gasket, what with how little customers we've been getting already with this stupid storm on top of that. He's so sick and tired of hearing the excuses and complaints of it for who knows what reason."
"Aokari," he said, trying the name on his tongue. "He the manager or supervisor?"
"Manager."
"Right right. You mentioned that a while back." Kai smirked, glancing back at her exhausted form. "Good thing you can rest now. You don't have to worry as much, now that the storm has basically closed down a good portion of the city."
"Mmhm..." she muttered, her eyelids already flitting close. "Good thing..."
Hearing him smile, Kai placed a soft kiss on her forehead, leaning his head on hers. "It's okay," he whispered. "You can rest now."
That brought some comfort, but not enough.
Aria had almost been found out.
The fact that her manager had almost seen her accidentally use her Mystic powers was terrifying. She had intended on mentioning them to Kai, but she didn't want to ruin his good mood. Her powers going off was never and hadn't been on purpose, but it had almost been enough for Poinud to notice, and then he would most likely call the Pacis to pick her up and force her to become one of their members.
What matters now, she told herself, is that I didn't get caught and I can continue my life like nothing happened.
And it was true. No matter how chaotic it got, Aria's life always managed to get back in order. Usually, she had to be the one that told herself that it wasn't as bad as it seemed and that she was making a big fuss over it. Aria had Kai to help her. Without him, it would be harder to keep everything in order, what with her powers going haywire at times. Those times were getting more frequent as the days went on, but Aria knew that as long as she had a place to sit down and talk to Kai, everything would turn out alright.
Aria exhaled peacefully, feeling her muscles loosen when she opened her eyes to observe the snowy outdoors.
The storm was quieter now than what it was when she'd come in, barely making any sounds. The individual flakes descended on the blanketed ground, making the once bustling street white and peaceful. There was a good layer of snow out there, turning the urban city into a beautiful white cityscape. Everything looked like Ko'ad had sprinkled pieces of His Paradise on the skyscrapers and trees around the city, making it feel like they had ascended to Him. One could stand in it and suddenly feel at peace, even if there was a storm whipping around them, tugging for them to focus on reality and not what was going on inside their heads.
That was one of the many things she liked about snow: It had everyone at peace and in awe, even if they've seen and been in it many times before. Everyone had a respect for snow, in their own way. It was the thing keeping them from enjoying their normal everyday activities, but it also had them outside more; when there wasn't a blizzard outside, of course. Not only that, but when people were outside in the snow, they were more friendly towards one another. They would've just passed by each other without saying or doing anything when it was sunny out, but now they passed each other with a smile and asked how their day was going and wished them a good one.
To some people, the snow was just an annoyance and obstacle in the way of getting them to the place they want or need to be; but to Aria, it felt like Ko'ad Himself was telling her to slow down with her life to appreciate its beauty.
A jingle of bells cut through the peaceful silence. Kai shifted, looking to see who came in, then placed his forehead against hers. "I've got to go now, Ari," Kai whispered. "I'll be back."
"I know." She smiled, grasping his hand. "You always do."
He gave her hand a slight squeeze, smiling back. Kai placed a soft kiss on her forehead, then rose to greet the newest customer.
"Welcome, mister!" he called out, his footsteps growing distant. "Excuse myself. I didn't think people would particularly want to be out in this weather."
"No worries," the new man said as Aria leaned back, silently listening in. "I figured I could stay here till the storm died down."
"Well, that you can do." The sound of glasses clinked on the countertop. "In the meantime, can I interest you in any beverages?"
"Ah, water's fine." A stool moved back, then forward again as the patron sat. "I'm not one for anything fancy."
"Whatever you say, sir." The faucet turned on for a moment, then off as a glass was placed on the counter. "So, what brings you here?" Kai asked. "If you don't mind me asking."
The man took a sip of water. "I'm looking for some people, actually."
Aria sat up, listening carefully while trying to appear disinterested. She didn't dare risk a glance, letting the conversation play out. Best to keep quiet for now.
"Oh, really?" Kai said, interested. "They relatives of yours?"
"Not relatives, per se. Just people I've been searching for."
Aria turned her head a bit, getting a peek at the stranger.
The man had one elbow on the countertop while his other hand was in his pocket, which was an interesting choice on his part. He swished his glass of water as if it were filled with alcohol, looking indifferent as he told Kai that he was hunting people down. His stark white hair went down to his jawline, the black ends peeking through. A few strands flew in front of his face, but the man didn't seem to care. He wore a white trench coat and slacks, both threaded with gold. His white dress boots were wet, most likely from walking in the snow. The man looked like he was dressed for some formal event, not for hunting people.
"Oh? You're part of the police force?" Kai asked, cleaning out a few dishes.
"Once," the man admitted, reaching deeper into his coat pocket. "Now I do as I please."
What does that mean? Aria got up from the sofa, and stretched. A few joints popped, cracking a bit as she moved around. She turned and walked into the main lobby to Kai, drawing the attention of the man.
He glanced at her, then turned his body to get a better look at her. The man took another sip of his water, staring into her eyes for an uncomfortable amount of time.
His eyes... They held something from her, something that vaguely resembled...
Aria blinked, and it was gone. Strange.
The more he stared in silence, the more uncomfortable she got.
"Um, sir?" Aria said, trying to divert his attention. "Is there something you need?"
The man blinked. "Sorry," he replied. "That's a habit I've been having a hard time breaking out of. I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable."
"It's... okay."
"Indeed." He leaned back in this stool, leaving the silence for a moment.
She resisted raising an eyebrow at him. Aria started her way towards Kai. So many feelings came from this man, and she didn't know what to do with any of them.
"I hope you don't mind me asking," the man said suddenly, catching her attention before she reached Kai. "But do you work for the Pacis?"
"What's it to you?" she asked after a moment's hesitation. "That's kind of a personal question."
"I know I know, but you seem like the Mystic that would be a part of them, after being forced to be one of them when you'd accidentally used your powers at the wrong place and time. Wouldn't that just hurt your orderly life?"
Everything tensed up. She clenched her hand into a fist, feeling her knuckles go white. Setting her jaw, Aria stared the man down.
How. Did. He. Know?
"I don't––"
"Okay!" Kai interjected, walking around the counter and sister to reach Aria, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Clearly, it's been a long day for all of us. Aria, why don't you go in the back and pick out some chocolate for the drinks?"
She felt herself unclench her fist, her emotions muted and calmer. The man continued to stare at her, no emotion giving way to what he was thinking. They stared at each other, neither of them saying anything to one another.
A few tense seconds passed, but Aria nodded, starting on her way to the pantry to cool off.
"Aria?" the man mused. "Could've sworn the name was on my list..."
A soft click reached her ears.
"Kai! Get down!" Aria yelled, diving for Kai waist, bringing him behind the counter, shielding him with her body.
BANG BANG BANG
Glass shattered, spraying over their faces. A few shards sliced and nicked her, drops of blood tracing their way down her face, but it was the least of her worries. Aria snapped her head up, getting off of Kai.
Laylin had immediately ducked beneath the counter, shielding her face from any stray fragments. She muttered something incomprehensible, then slowly made her way over to the two of them. She couldn't tell where the other patrons were, but she prayed that they found cover.
Kai looked over to Aria, satisfied that she was fine, then scooted over to Laylin, looking for any injuries.
Her heart raced, threatening to break free from her ribcage. Her breathing became irregular the more she thought about it. Why was this man looking for her? What did he want to do with her? Why her? Why her? Lights, why her?
Red sparks flew off her skin, crackling softly. Aria quickly shut out the thoughts as much as she could, maintaining order for a few more seconds to collect her thoughts once again. This was not the time for her powers to go haywire. It would risk getting Kai and the others hurt, or worse. Aria quickly shook herself, then moved over to Laylin and Kai, being discreet as possible.
"Kai, Lin, you both need to get the innocents out of here," Aria whispered quietly, already positioning herself towards the front of the counter. "I can do my best to hold him off."
"Ari." Kai grabbed her arm before she could move any farther. Aria turned towards him, surprised to see emotion. "You can't risk being seen. They'll take you away."
"It's better than letting the innocents die, you know that." She carefully removed his hand off her arm, giving him a comforting smile before looking Lin in the eye. "Make sure he's not distracted," Aria added.
"Oh yeah, sure. Leave it to the Nihil to get out of here with a mad shooter. No problem. None whatsoever. All good here." Lin rolled her eyes, pulling Kai away to the opposite side of the counter. "C'mon, dimlight. Mom prepared us for this."
Aria smiled, then exhaled. It didn't take much effort to tap into her Mystic power. Sometimes being a Discord has its perks, even if the cons outweigh the pros.
Within seconds, the red sparks appeared, little bolts of electricity shot up her arms and neck. Aria felt the energy course through her, begging for her to create some chaos, something for it to feed off of, but she was in control today. She chose when to or not feed on the chaos, and today was not the day. She found herself saying a silent prayer to Ko'ad, which surprised her.
She rolled from behind the counter.
BANG BANG BANG
Aria flinched at the gunshots, moving away from where the shots came from. Ears ringing, she thrust out a hand, pointing two fingers where the man was, letting the red energy flow off of her and at her target.
Thankfully, it went in the direction she pointed; however, the man sidestepped out of the way as if it were someone going in for a very slow punch. He moved with such speed and precision, like he knew that she was going to do that. He watched the lightning zap the wall, crackling past him as it left a huge black mark where he had been.
An unhinged grin appeared. "Licentia, huh?" he commented as he turned back to her. "Is she even awake in there?"
Something deep within her stirred at the strange name, but Aria quickly silenced it. She only needed to distract him right now. That was all. Out of the corner of her eye, Kai and Lin were ushering two people out the side entrance.
"I don't know who you're talking about," she snarled, returning her gaze back at the man. "Let alone who you are!"
The man was taken aback. "You don't know who I am?" He scoffed. "Now that's just hurtful."
"Humor me, why don'cha?"
The grin came back, madder than ever. He pulled his hair into a tail, leaving a few strands to dangle in front of his eyes. "Corvus Lawless, at your service," he said, spreading his free hand out as if wanting an embrace.
BANG
Nothing.
Aria didn't realize she was tensing up in preparation for blinding pain, but instead a feeling of numbness began to spread from her left shoulder on down. She blinked, unsure of what had happened, till the numbness was giving way to a horrible burning sensation. It wasn't like anything she had felt before. It was burning her from the inside out, the searing pain tearing her away from any thoughts she had. She'd once heard that getting shot was comparable to getting hit hard by a wooden stick or having a blister, but Aria didn't anticipate that it would hurt this much.
Gasping, Aria stumbled back, feeling the power threatening to go wild, but it strangely didn't go off. The spray of her own blood decorated the clean floor with red specks. Aria gripped her shoulder tightly, gritting her teeth to not let any cries of pain escape, though tears had begun to form.
Corvus only grinned when he saw Aria's blood ooze from between her fingers, the madness more visible than before. "That was only a warning shot, honey," Corvus sang, twirling his gun in his hand, not going off for some reason. "I need you alive for a few moments."
"What... what do you... want with me?" she asked, dizziness coming into the fray of jumbled emotions. Aria breathed heavily, spots coming into her vision as it was taking all of her energy to remain standing. "Surely... you have a reason."
"Oh, yes. Everyone has a reason, dear Aria." Corvus looked down at her, the grin fading. "People like you don't understand that everyone––especially people like me––have a reason to do what they're doing. Everyone believes their reason is the right one, but never think about the other side and what their reasoning is. They never consider that the other side believes that they are fighting for the right cause and that they are in the wrong," he contemplated aloud, then shook the thought. "Now, please answer the question before you meet Mors––" He leveled his handgun to her forehead. "––where are the others?"
"The... what?"
"Don't play coy, now." He cocked his head to the side, his mad grin returning. "You know where they are, don't you, Licentia?"
"I... no." Aira looked up, her head pounding. Her body was telling her that she was, for sure, going to die from the wound, though it didn't hit anything fatal. Aria heaved, the power within her raging for revenge, but she resisted. "I don't know who you're talking about, or to. You've got the wrong person!"
Disappointment replaced the madness. "Truly a shame you believe that."
Control slipped through her fingers.
She struggled against the unseen power, but was left to only watch.
The imposter thrust both of her hands in front of her, pointing with two fingers on each hand, a huge bolt of red chaotic lightning shooting from them and into the man in front of her. It stood taller when Corvus was shoved into the tables and chairs behind him, crashing into the wall that surprisingly didn't fall under the powerful throw.
Control came back.
She gasped, the pain sharper than ever. Aria clutched her shoulder, fighting to not to pass out, even if a small part of her wanted to pass out to escape the pain. Aria guessed that it was a part of whatever Ko'ad wanted her to go through. If she was going to go out like this, at least Kai wasn't here to––
"Aria!"
Kai. That sweet idiot. Aria turned to see Kai run up to her, the left side of his dark green apron soaking. Concern flickered in his eyes when he saw her clutching her shoulder, blood seeping through her fingers. He began to reach out to see what was going on with her shoulder.
"Kai!" she yelled, anger bleeding into her voice, which surprised her. "I told you to help the innocents! What happened to Lin?"
"I'm a master in the fine art of avoiding sisters." Worry came into his expression as he regarded the wound yet again. He walked up a bit closer and started to reach out another time. "You're hurt."
Aria waved his comment and him away with a bloody hand, her anger steaming away as the ever-growing pain was taking up residence. "I'll be fine," she said. "But you can't be here. You're a Lifegiver. You need to make sure that the innocents are taken care of. He wants me, not you."
"Excuse me? Just because my ability isn't as good as yours in fights does not mean that I'll be on the sidelines while you are getting shot by a mad man! I don't care if he wants you. Lights, I don't even know who he is! I won't stand by an––"
Rolling her eyes at his little rant, Aria reached out with her free hand, grabbing and pulling Kai by the collar of his shirt to meet his lips with hers.
Of course that shut him up.
Everything around them faded away at that moment, even some of the pain. The thought of Corvus surviving the blast and there being something within her that can take control of her fled her mind. Kai melted in the kiss, his arms moving to carefully wrap around her waist, aware of her injured shoulder. She could feel her heart pounding... most likely from her shoulder wound. Was that normal to feel?
Aria pulled away first, touching his forehead with hers. Kai's eyes remained closed for a moment, a single tear falling from the corner of his eye when he opened his eyes. He pleaded with her silently, telling her with his eyes that he didn't want to be separated from her. She smiled slightly, which caused him to lighten up.
"I'm sorry. I'll be back," she whispered softly, pushing him out the front door and into the snow.
Aria felt control over her body slip away again, this time the imposter stamped her foot in the ground and raised her arms slowly, a dome of thick ice forming around the café.
Control came back.
Aria stumbled back, breathing heavily as sweat rolled down her brow. Clutching her wounded shoulder again, her free hand trembled. Something deep within her wanted to give in, but Aria wouldn't let it. She fought for him. She fought to make sure that he was alright.
Kai will understand, she thought, slowly removing her hand from her shoulder, blood dripping from her hand to the once pristine, but now scuffed and dirty wooden floor. He'll understand why I did this.
The sound of movement came from where she'd thrown Corvus. Aria felt her brow knit together as she turned, carefully moving towards the wreckage of where he'd been thrown, gently tapping into her power just in case––
BANG
Numbness began in her lower side of her stomach, unbearable pain following not long after.
Gasping for breath, she fell to her knees, the power she'd once had suddenly slipping through her fingers and out of reach. Aria hacked up blood, shaking violently. With every second that passed, it felt like her body was going to give out at any given moment. She wanted to pass out, sleep the pain away, but no. She was living through every agonizing second of pain.
Tears blurred her vision, but she could see a fuzz that was Corvus walking up to her, unharmed from when she had thrown him, except for the few scrapes on his face and clothes he was unbothered by. He still had a mad grin on his face, more confident than before.
"Was that your boyfriend?" Corvus stopped in front of her, grinning wickedly down at her. He had new spots of red on his shirt and coat, but was unbothered. He spun his gun in his right hand, oblivious that it could go off at any moment. "Kai was his name?" he said, kneeling in front of her with a knowing smirk. "Isn't it a bit cliché for one to fall for their barista?"
She coughed up more blood, the dizziness coming back stronger than ever. There was no chance for her to win this one. Even if she could use her power, Aria doubted that she would have enough focus to control her power. It would just go chaotic and kill her in the process. But at least Kai was okay. At least he wasn't here and had a chance to get away before this mad man killed her, or did something else unspeakable.
"Well, whatever his name was, dear Aria," he said, looking more unhinged by the second. "I will make sure he feels every ounce of pain you are feeling right now."
"Don't. Hurt. Him," Aria managed to growl, before going into a coughing fit and falling to the ground.
"Not really in a position to make threats, now, are you?" Corvus snatched her wounded shoulder, causing her to howl with pain. He lifted her back up on her knees, placing his other thumb in the middle of her forehead.
"Don't worry," his now soft voice purred. "This won't hurt a bit. I only want one thing from you."
All Aria could remember was pain, sharper than both of her wounds. Someone screamed loudly, wanting to be let go from the pain. Something wanted to tear her mind from the inside out. It searched for something, and though she tried to fight, she eventually bowed in submission before it. Her very soul started to slip away into the unknown, perhaps never to be seen again.