The Light at the End of the Tunnel

You were my safe haven but you were unsafe. (18)

ARU WOKE up with a headache. Her eyes adjusted to sudden light.

A man sat across from her, sipping wine. He raised his eyebrows, smiling.

Aru felt sick. "Let me go," she said. Or that's what she thought she said. Her voice came out muffled, like she was under the water.

"I'm sorry," He said. "I can't let a woman like this get by."

Aru searched for weapons. He smiled sickly and held up Vajra, "Looking for this?"

Aru's breathing got rapid, her heart stopping for a second.

"You know, there were other girls, but none of them were better than you," He said. "Foudre."

Aru dimly noted There had been more victims.

"Johannes should be dealing with that numbskull," He told her. "The other guy."

Aru's eyes widened. "Where is he?"

"Hopefully, hell by now," He showed his teeth.

He went on and on, but Aru tuned it out.

"Well, girly," He said. "Come with-"

The door was on the floor. Aru heard a belated thud, and her head snapped towards it.

There, standing behind the broken down door, was Aiden Acharya.

———

——AN HOUR BEFORE——

Aiden drove to the address. The drive there was infuriatingly slow, the red light mocking him and teasing him. His impatience was a hindrance, he'd admit. But he couldn't help but be worried.

And he wouldn't deny he cared too much.

It was hard. Everything was hard. The world was a hard place, and Aiden was here being angry. That usually made him cry, but he was too mad to cry.

He didn't bother knocking on this fancy mansion. His gun was out and he yelled, "Hands behind the back, stay down!"

Perhaps the security was too scared to react but they didn't follow instructions until Aiden kept his gun higher.

"I need the entrance."

No one responded.

"You," Aiden pointed at the one closest to the door. "Open the door."

They complied. Aiden walked in, still keeping his gun up.

All the doors seemed to be open. Except one.

He ran. Bolted. And when he finally reached the door, it was perhaps on instinct, but before he knew it the door broke down. He panted, trying to clear his head.

Aru's head fell on the table but not before her shoulders sagged in relief.

How dare someone make her feel so unsafe? How dare they give her anything less than the world?

I could give her the world.

I would love to give her the world.

The man sitting across from her got scared and dropped his wine glass. It shattered on the ground, wine spilling on the table, dying her dark hair red.

Aiden vowed that even at the end of it, he would never let this person get away.

He held up his gun. "Hands behind the back. I have no mercy or sympathy for you, so don't try. And if you do,"

Aiden walked closer until the gun rested on the man's head. "I'll give you hell."

"You won't shoot me. You need me for information."

"Who says you're useful and anyone needs you? You're utterly useless. I already have your 'friend'."

"Where's Johannes?"

The gun dug deeper. "I think that's the least of your problems right now. Hands. Behind. The back."

His hands went behind the back, his right one holding the left wrist loosely. "I think you should show me mercy. I didn't do much to her."

"I'll decide if I should show you mercy or not," Aiden said, his finger resting on the trigger. "Decision's made. No mercy."

He called the HQ for reinforcements. Soon enough, they came and took him away.

"I have valuable information, Acharya, and I'll give it to you. Do consider!" He yelled as they took him away. Brynne told him to shut up, flipped him off and walked to  Aiden.

"You okay, man? That jaw looks nasty. Don't you need to patch that up properly?"

"I'll get to that."

Brynne probably noticed his mood and accepted it. "O-kayyy. And do we need to take care of Aru?"

Aiden looked down at her. "No, that's okay. I'll take care of this."

Brynne smiled. "Okay."

She clapped his shoulder and left.

Aiden crouched in front of her. "Shah. Hey."

His own voice surprised him. It had turned so soft, despite how stiff it had been earlier.

Her head turned toward him.

"You okay?"

In response, Aru held up her head weakly and looked at him. Aiden could see how heavy it was, as if it was going to crash any second.

Instead, tears slid down her cheeks silently.

Aiden's heart broke. He pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly.

They stayed that way for a while.