THEM

Chapter 14

Aithne walked out, goosebumps emerging on the pale skin of her forearms due to the evening chill. She scanned the surroundings and was dismayed to see someone was there. At least, that's what she told herself, but, like a magnet not being able to deflect her trajectory, she made her way towards him. When she got close enough to see his face, it didn't light up in greeting. Rather, his expression was troubled, mirroring her own.

"Hi." Her voice cracked as she spoke. She sat down on the roof, leaving a few meters between them.

"Hey." V didn't sound happy to see her.

She felt a pang in her chest and almost stood up and left, but an anxious desire to know what was going through his head gripped her. She didn't know why she was so sensitive to his moods; they were constantly fluctuating so it was far from reasonable to let them affect her. However, she needed to know what he knew and what he now thought of her.

"How's your day been?" She cringed at her awkwardness.

"I think your day has probably been more interesting." He replied sharply.

She winced. He knew something. "I... Well... There was..." She stuttered, not knowing where to start and the fear of his reaction paralyzing her.

"Raphael told me about your memory." V said, saving her from her suffering, only to dunk her in more misery.

Aithne stopped breathing as his last word reverberated through her. He knew. He knew. He knew everything. Everything that mattered. He knew that the visions were memories. And he knew about hers. The guilt gnawed at her bones, her body, her mind. She tried to read his expression, but couldn't. Had he come to the same conclusion as her? Did he see her how she saw herself: as the monster she likely was?

"I'm sorry." She breathed out.

"Why?" He asked, but she saw it in his eyes. He knew. He had thought about it. He probably only wondered whether she would refute the reality right in front of her face in an attempt to conserve the concept of the purity of her soul.

"I... I could've experimented on you." Her voice cracked with the last word as tears welled up in her eyes. She turned away. She couldn't look him in the face; she was too ashamed. What if she learned that, in his past life, he was the one who had lit the fire which burned her at the stake? Could she look at him the same way after that? Hot tears rolled down her face. The visions flashed before her eyes, except this time, it was V's face underneath her surgical instrument. She sobbed and dug her nails into her palm, in a desperate attempt for the pain to make the images disappear. She would never have done that. Not to him. Not to anyone. Not in this life. Not in any other. And yet... She squeezed her eyes shut as more tears streamed down her face.

Hands touched her tight fist softly, hesitantly, before they wrapped themselves more firmly around it and gently uncurled her fingers, one by one. She hadn't noticed V get closer. A few drops of crimson blood appeared where her nails had been digging in her skin. He entwined his hand in hers; it completely enveloped her thin hand in surprising softness. Involuntary shivers went up her arm; it was the first time he had voluntarily touched her. "I don't care." He said.

"You should!" She exclaimed. "How could I have done that? To you? To anyone?"

"First of all, you didn't do it. Also, you don't know the whole story. Maybe they did it to protect one of their family members who was imprisoned. Maybe they were only a pawn on the board; they could've been manipulated, tortured themselves, into helping, because their skills were indispensable."

"But if we have their memories, aren't we them? Or aren't they at least a part of us?" Aithne wondered, despair filling her.

"Are we only the summation of our memories? I think we're more. That you're more." He reached out with the hand that wasn't in hers and lifted her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his. "So much more." He murmured softly.