Fates Intertwined

9. | Flames

Aurora took the stairs to the third floor, pushing open the door. There were multiple rooms, almost like offices. She walked to one of them, pushing the cracked door open.

The room was abandoned, a desk sitting at the forefront. There were books and picture frames on the ground. Aurora walked to the desk, dragging a finger through the debris. The desk was charred and covered in what looked to be ash.

This building must've gone up in flames, she thought to herself. Maybe that's why it's so abandoned.

Aurora walked to one of the frames on the floor. Bending down, she picked it up, flipping it over and studying the picture. It was burnt beyond relief and you could no longer recognize the men in the picture.

Her eyes suddenly slammed shut and when she opened them, she was still in the office, but it was on fire.

Aurora panicked.

She ran out of the office, but everywhere around her was aflame. People were screaming, some on fire. Smoke infiltrated her lungs and then she was coughing.

She was afraid. She was terrified. She didn't know what happened and she was afraid.

"Zyran!" She coughed out, her hand against her throat. "Zyran!"

She tried to make her way back to the stairwell, but the smoke burned her eyes. The heat was so strong.

"Help me!" A woman yelled. A man ran down the hall, screaming with his body on fire. Aurora had to move out of the way to prevent being touched by the man or the fire.

She collapsed to the floor, but then she was back in her real body, throwing the frame to the floor. She stumbled back, tripping and falling. She sat feet away from it, staring at the burnt frame in fear.

Her breathing came in pants and her body was shaking. She felt something against her face, and wiping at it, she found it was a tear. Am I crying? She asked herself. She wiped her hand against her pant leg and stood up. She needed to get out of that office.

And so she did. She walked out of the office and continued to explore. But everywhere she looked, all she could see were the flames that licked up every wall. The bodies that laid on the floor, burnt and ruined.

But then she would blink, and it'd be gone.

Opening a door down the hall, she found a store room. It seemed to be the least damaged. She walked through the room, looking at anything and everything.

She found a few rolled up mats that looked untouched and grabbed them. They could use them to sleep. She turned to leave, but something caught her eye. A shelf at the back. Walking to it, she found multiple pieces of gym equipment — dumbbells, weights. But beside the shelf there was a chest. She stepped toward it, opening it and finding weapons filled inside.

"That's weird." She mumbled. Why would an abandoned building have a chest full of weapons?

She shook her head, closing it. She could use them to teach the others how to defend themselves. With the life they were living, they were going to need to be able to fight. They can't run forever, and they can't use their powers all the time.

Aurora walked back down the stairs, returning to the group with the mats in hand. "Hey, I found some mats that we can use to sleep with. They don't look eaten through or burned."

Eric was already asleep and Nara was well on her way. Lina was sitting against the wall, fiddling with her necklace.

Zyran stood up at the sight of her, but he was staring at her confused. "Burned?"

She slowed. "Yeah. This place was burned down."

"How do you know?" Lina asked, brows furrowed.

"The entire upstairs is charred. There's ash everywhere." She explained, pointing behind her at the stairs. "And there are burn marks all over the walls. Look at this place."

Lina sighed. "I was trying not to."

"Uhm, well, I found these. Figured we could use them to sleep easier." She showed Zyran.

"Cool." He smiled at her, taking two. He tossed one to Lina, who barely managed to catch it. She glared at him.

"We should get some sleep. Tomorrow, I'll teach you guys how to fight and build up your strength." She told.

Lina pushed herself up. "Why is it that we're all of a sudden listening to you?" Aurora looked at her in shock. "Did you plan all of this? Did you purposefully try to get us killed?"

"Lina, stop it." Zyran demanded.

"No. Why would I do that? I tried to leave, but you didn't let me." Aurora defended.

"I would've been glad to have you gone. All you bring is trouble and soon enough, it'll be death." She took slow steps toward her. "But you know that, don't you? That's why your little family's dead."

"Lina, enough!" Zyran stepped in front of her, but she stared, eyes wide.

Lina smiled humorlessly. "Sure. Stand up for the pretty girl. But wait until you realize she was never worth it in the first place." She walked away from them, making sure to bump shoulders with Aurora. She stumbled and watched as she disappeared through the doorway.

"Are you okay?" Zyran asked, staring down at her with concern.

"I'm fine." She mumbled, flexing her shoulder.

"I don't know what's gotten into her." He sighed.

She shrugged. "She's angry. She had to leave her home and now she's on the run. She's just...trying to put the blame on me, is all."

"She shouldn't. We're the ones who started all of this." He stated, but she shook her head.

"No, you didn't." His brows creased. "The Van Helsings did. We're just...doing what we can to survive." She shrugged. "I'm gonna head to sleep." She told before walking to a spot and laying down. She laid on her side with her back to him, but her eyes stayed wide awake.

She knew she should sleep, but her body wouldn't let her. She hadn't slept in over a hundred years. Unless you count being put to sleep.

There were so many things that she had forgotten how to do. How to sleep. How to feel. How to be happy. It was like she was stuck on survival mode, and she didn't know how to turn it off. No room for feelings. No room for emotion. Only survival.

Which is why she struggled so much to let them in. She wanted them to survive. If they didn't, she didn't think she could handle the guilt. They needed to survive.

She wouldn't be able to live with herself if they didn't.