Blade institute: the unseen prophecy

20

The nightmare came quickly, as it often did when she was vulnerable and unguarded. She was back in the shadows of her past, trapped in the memories she tried so hard to forget. The dark, leering faces of men, the cold, malicious eyes of those who had hurt her, and the helplessness that threatened to consume her whole. She could hear her mother's voice, distant and pleading, but it was drowned out by the laughter of those men, by the suffocating terror that choked her screams.

Evangeline woke with a start, gasping for breath, her heart pounding in her chest. Her clothes clung to her skin, drenched in sweat, and it took her a moment to realize where she was.

"Damn it, Evangeline," Rian's voice was sharp, jolting her back to the present. Sheblinked, trying to orient herself as the haze of the nightmare faded. Her eyes landed on Rian, who was leaning over her, a bottle of water in his hand, its contents now spilled across her lap.

"What the hell?" Evangeline growled, wiping the water off her clothes, the remnants of fear quickly turning to anger. "Did you just throw water on me?"

Rian's expression was stony, a hint of irritation in his eyes. "You were screaming," he said flatly. "I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't stop. You looked like you were in pain."

Evangeline's anger faltered, replaced by a mix of shame and vulnerability that she struggled to hide. She looked away, focusing on the darkened road ahead. "It was just a nightmare," she muttered, though her voice was weaker than she intended.

Rian watched her for a moment, then sighed, pulling the car back onto the road. The silence between them stretched, heavy with unspoken tension. The only sound was the engine humming and the rhythmic thumping of the tires on the asphalt.

After several minutes, Rian broke the silence, his tone softer, more cautious. "Do you... want to talk about it?"

Evangeline's jaw tightened. She knew he was trying, in his own way, but the last thing she wanted was to bare her soul to him—especially after the biting words he'd thrown at her earlier. "No," she said shortly, her gaze fixed out the window. "I don't want to talk about it."

Rian's fingers drummed against the steering wheel, his frustration palpable. "Look, I know I'm not the person you want to confide in," he began, his voice carefully measured. "But if something is messing with your head, especially out here... it could get us both killed."

His words echoed her own fears, and she knew he was right. But that didn't make it any easier to open up. She wasn't ready to delve into the mess of memories and pain that had resurfaced since the night before. Not with him, not with anyone.

When she didn't respond, Rian exhaled heavily, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier," he admitted, his tone tinged with reluctance. "I shouldn't have said you'd get us killed. That wasn't fair."

Evangeline turned to look at him, surprised by the unexpected apology. Rian wasn't known for admitting when he was wrong—at least not to her. She could see the tension in his posture, the way his jaw clenched as if the words had cost him something to say.

She hesitated, then nodded slightly, her anger beginning to soften. "Yeah, well... maybe I needed to hear it," she replied quietly. "But I'm not going to let that happen, Rian. I'm not going to be the reason we fail."

Rian glanced at her, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. "Good," he said, his voice firm. "Because we can't afford any screw-ups. Not on this mission."

The tension between them eased just slightly, enough for Evangeline to feel a small sense of relief. The silence that followed wasn't as suffocating, and she allowed herself to relax a little in her seat, though sleep was the last thing on her mind now.