AURORA

Haunted

A/N: Aurora?

Aurora’s days continued in their delicate balance between work and fragile friendships. Yet, the emotional strain of recent events persisted, making her nights restless and her days fraught with tension.

Another Nightmare(but with the same words all over again)

Aurora found herself once more in the grasp of a haunting dream. She was back in that shadowy room, Natasha standing before her, eyes filled with sorrow and accusation.

"Aurora, why didn’t you save me?" Natasha’s voice echoed, piercing Aurora's heart.

"I tried, Natasha. I tried," Aurora’s voice was desperate, but the words felt hollow.

Natasha shook her head, her image becoming fainter. "Don’t let go... don’t let go..."

Aurora woke abruptly, her heart racing, tears streaming down her face. She sat up, clutching her blanket, struggling to shake off the remnants of the nightmare.

The next morning, Yelena was in the kitchen, preparing coffee as usual. She looked up as Aurora entered, noticing the dark circles under her eyes.

"Morning," Yelena greeted gently. "Another rough night?"

Aurora nodded, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "The nightmares won’t stop."

Yelena placed a comforting hand on Aurora’s shoulder. "Maybe you should talk to Wanda, she can do things with her mind right?  Maybe she can help you out"

Aurora managed a faint smile. "I'm okay. Yelena, I don't need Wanda's help, she done enough."

As Aurora went through her day, she was plagued by vivid flashbacks of Natasha. During a meeting with Mia, she suddenly saw Natasha sitting across the table, her expression stern and focused. Aurora blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the vision, but it left her feeling disoriented.

Mia noticed Aurora’s distraction. "Are you okay, Aurora?"

Aurora nodded quickly, forcing a smile. "Yes, just a bit tired. Let’s continue with the case."

Mia gave her a concerned look but continued discussing their strategy. "We’ve found more inconsistencies in the financial records. It looks like there was a deliberate attempt to cover up the misappropriations. If we can link these to the top executives, we’ll have a strong case."

Aurora forced herself to focus, pushing aside the lingering images of Natasha. "Good work, Mia. Let’s keep digging. We need to ensure our case is airtight."

Meanwhile, Wanda was making earnest efforts to spend more time with Aurora, hoping to bridge the gap between them. She often joined Aurora and Mia for lunch, trying to ease the tension with light conversation and genuine interest in their work.

AFTERNOON

Wanda approached Aurora with a hopeful smile. "Would you like to go for a walk in the park this evening? It might help clear your mind."

Aurora hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah sure"

The Walk

They walked through Parc des Buttes-Chaumont once again the beauty of the park providing a tranquil backdrop. Wanda’s presence was comforting, but Aurora couldn’t shake off the memories of Natasha.

As they strolled, Wanda talked about her efforts to control her powers and the volunteering work she was doing. Aurora listened, appreciating Wanda’s sincerity and dedication.

Suddenly, a flashback hit Aurora with full force. She saw Natasha standing by the lake, her eyes filled with a mix of sadness and pain. The image was so vivid that it felt real.

Aurora stopped abruptly, her breathing quickening. "Stop it"

Wanda turned to her, concern evident on her face. "Aurora, what’s wrong?"

Aurora's vision blurred, the lines between past and present merging. She lashed out, shoving Wanda away. "Stop! Just stop!"

Wanda stumbled back, shocked and hurt. "Aurora, it’s me. It’s Wanda."

Aurora blinked, the vision fading. "Stop, what are you doing, you told me you stopped messing with minds, get out of mine"

Wanda approached cautiously, her eyes filled with worry. "I didn't do anything I swear Aurora, I know how it felt, I would never do that to you again."

Aurora went past her leaving her alone at the park.

That evening, back at her apartment, Aurora was still shaken from the incident. Yelena found her sitting on the couch, staring blankly ahead.

"Aurora, what happened?" Yelena asked, sitting down beside her.

Aurora shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "I had a flashback. I saw Natasha…I’m losing control, Yelena."

Yelena hugged Aurora tightly. "It’s okay. You’re not alone. I think you should talk to Wanda ."

"I was with Wanda I pushed her away, she was the one that messed with my mind before why not doing it now?!! I knew helping Stephen was a bad idea..." Yelena hugged Aurora. "Wanda has changed Aurora, I don't think she's doing anything, as about Strange, you did the right thing"
Aurora stepped back and locked herself in her room.

The next day, Mia entered Aurora’s office with a stack of new evidence. "Aurora, I think we’ve found the link we need. These emails show direct communication between the executives and the fraudulent accounts."

Aurora took a deep breath, focusing on the task at hand. "Good work, Mia. Let’s compile everything and prepare for the trial."

Aurora said taking a pill from her drawer Swallowing it.