Achromatic Adventure

Loyal

The room felt oppressively small, suffused with tension that hung thick in the air like a dense fog. Artemis moved about the space mechanically, her movements jerky and devoid of the usual grace that characterized her. Each item she touched felt heavy, laden with the weight of betrayal and regret. She held fast to her outward appearance, coming off cold and distant. But, it was clear to me that something inside her was whirling as she began to pack up her things. The darkness coming from her seeped into the living room where the rest of us stayed still like statues. The only sounds that could be heard were the moving placement of items in the bedroom and Turstin's toe-tapping to ground himself from the stress he felt due to the awkward vibe that hung in the room.

The wardrobe creaked as Artemis pulled out clothes, her hands trembling as she folded them neatly and placed them into her suitcase. "Don't take any of my clothes." Seren echoed from the living room. "They might be in a laundry basket but I can still tell." Artemis waved the comments away, her gaze flitted to the bed, where memories of intimate moments with Seren still lingered, now tainted by her own indiscretion. She couldn't bare to look at it, couldn't bare the guilt that threatened to consume her whole.

The sound Seren and I muttering to each other to fill the silence drifted in from the living room, a stark reminder of the life she was leaving behind. Seren's laughter, once music to her ears, now felt like shards of glass, cutting deep into her soul with every jovial note. Nash's voice, low and soothing, grated on her nerves, a constant reminder of her lapse in judgment. He was apologizing to Turstin as he was being handed a cup of black coffee in an attempt to sober him up. Tustin gave him a gentle nod as he placed the cup in his hands, taking a seat beside him slowly.

Artemis paused, her heart clenching painfully in her chest as she caught sight of a photograph on the bedside table. It was a picture of her and Seren, taken on a sunny day at the beach, their smiles wide and carefree. Seren loved the beach, especially when she could enjoy it without any interference. Artemis wasn't interference then, but she was now. Tears pricked at her eyes as she reached out to touch it, her fingers tracing the outline of Seren's face with a tenderness she no longer deserved.

"You can't have that frame either." I hissed. "I bought that for Seren for her birthday, take the picture and leave it. Not that you should have the picture anyway."

I could see Artemis tense her muscles, she paused for a moment and then proceeded to remove the picture from the frame and place it in her overnight bag.

A knock at the door jolted her out of her reverie, and Artemis quickly wiped away her tears, steeling herself for the confrontation that awaited her.

Tustin shot up and went to the door, opening it to reveal a short man in a uniform with bright yellow hair.

"Is Artemis ready to go?"

I stomped over to the door and took my place beside Turstin. "And who the hell are you?"

I got closer to his face, leaning myself on the door frame for balance.

"That's her older brother." Seren sighed, clearly annoyed at how long all of this was taking. "Just let him get her out of here."

With one last glance around the room, Artemis zipped up her suitcase and squared her shoulders, ready to face the consequences of her actions.

As she walked through the doorway that led back into the living room, her eyes met Seren's detached gaze, and Artemis felt a wave of shame wash over her. Without a word, she brushed past her, her steps faltering as she made her way to the living room where she could see her brother waiting patiently on the porch.