𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐄, ERIK LEHNSHERR

𝑻𝑾𝑬𝑵𝑻𝒀-𝑭𝑶𝑼𝑹

          Kara had woken abruptly in the early hours of the morning, her screams taunting her mind and sending her body to jerk awake. It confused her how nothing else seemed to intimidate her in waking but she was glad she was able to get some sleep in the end.

Her hand, which was warm and hanging off the side of her bed, made her adjust her eyes to the dark and find the source. She noticed Erik still sitting there, his hand wrapped securely around hers while he seemed to be sound asleep.

Her lips tilted up in a smile at the sight, gladly adjusting her hand in his and lying awake to watch his small expressions come out to play as if he were in a dream.

After a few minutes of laying there, she adjusted herself to sit up, careful not to hurt herself further. Her breathing wasn't normal as it had been the night before, recalling what she'd noticed.

Having laid on her stomach the previous night, she knew her ribs felt different and eventually came to the conclusion that they were cracked with the multiple jabs her father sent to that area.

She'd known her body was hurt and by all the shock adjusting in her insides during the two months of torture, it shadowed what she truly knew was physically injured once she arrived yesterday.

Her attention was set on going downstairs, wanting to talk to Charles. That was the most important thing that needed to be done and she knew resting wasn't going to hold her back from it. Having stayed in bed the whole night wasn't something normal for her.

She forced herself to stand up, as quietly as possible so as to not wake the sleeping man sitting beside her bed. If he had caught her trying to leave the room, she knew he'd scold her but she'd just wave him off.

Trailing with small steps to her door, she inched it open without making a sound. The mansion was dark once she'd successfully closed her door, figuring it had to have been around three in the morning.

She was determined to make it all the way down the hall and down the stairs without so much as a peep escaping her lips. Her arm was burning, as well as the pain in her ribs, and her burns.

It would've been too much for a regular, sensible person but Kara was neither of those things. Her fists clenched at her sides as she walked small and secure steps down the hall, heavy breaths sounding from her lungs and out of her mouth.

Her body ached as she crept down the stairs, her hands clutching the railing to prevent her from falling and harming herself further. It was a funny thought but she knew she'd hate herself if it had become true.

Kara smirked upon seeing the lamp in Charles' office illuminating the open room. Whether he was asleep or awake, Kara prayed for the latter so that she could get everything off of her chest.

Once standing in the doorway of the office, she looked around for Charles until she spotted him sitting in his chair behind his desk, his head facing downward as he read a book.

She cleared her throat, making her presence known, and watched as he glanced up to stare at her. His reaction was just as she predicted, his eyes going wide and frustration lighting up his face.

She held a dismissive hand out as he stood up, preventing him from saying anything. "Save it, Charles. I came here to talk." She muttered, walking to the chair in front of his desk.

She held an arm over her abdomen as she sat herself down, struggling to breathe properly as she did so. "Kara," He warned, taking in her appearance.

She somehow looked worse than when he and Erik found her. She looked sickly and paler than normal, which concerned him. He noticed the way she clutched her abdomen in hopes of not hurting it further.