𝕷𝖚𝖉𝖔𝖘 ✷ 𝑨𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒏 𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒓

𝟓.- 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

"The greatest trick the Devil pulled was convincing the world there was only one of him."

𝐀𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚

If I thought being stuck with Warner for a few seconds in the same elevator was hard, being in the same car was an entirely different challenge altogether.

As we sat side by side in the sleek black vehicle, the tension between us was palpable, too real to ignore.

I want to jump out of the car.

I catch Warner glancing at me, his piercing gaze catching mine for a fleeting moment before returning to the road ahead. His expression remained inscrutable, but I could sense a shift in the atmosphere, as if something had changed in the space between us.

"You have an interesting profile," he remarked, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. The unexpectedness of his words caught me off guard, and I turned to face him, my brow furrowing in confusion.

"My records indicate that you've worked in the compounds as a medic," he continued, his tone measured but tinged with curiosity. "I have to admit, that it was one of the many reasons you were chosen for the job. But you are quite young for someone so qualified, don't you think?"

I hesitated for a moment, taken aback by the sudden mention of my background. It was rare for Warner to show any curiosity about his soldiers, let alone someone like me who had only recently joined his unit.

I swallowed hard, gathering my thoughts before responding. "Well, worked is a meaningful word, sir," I replied, my voice steady despite the nerves that churned within me. "I started volunteering when I was younger, though age is but a number. It was... a difficult experience, to say the least."

Warner was looking at me like he could see my soul, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he were studying me. "Difficult in what way?" he pressed, his tone softer now, almost gentle.

I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. The memories of my time in the compounds were still raw, a constant source of pain that I preferred to keep buried deep within me. But there was something in Warner's gaze that urged me to speak, to share the burden of my past.

"It was... chaotic," I began slowly, my words measured as I struggled to find the right ones. "The conditions were... unimaginable. People were starving, wounded, dying... And there was so little we could do to help them. Typical during any war, I suppose."

Warner's gaze lingered on me for a moment longer before he spoke again. "I see," he mused. "And how did that lead you to become a soldier? After witnessing everything firsthand, I mean."

His question cut through the air like a knife, probing for answers I wasn't quite ready to give. I met his gaze head-on, my expression carefully neutral as I considered my response. "I guess sometimes the most unexpected paths lead to the most interesting destinations," I replied cryptically, my words echoing with a weight I couldn't fully articulate.