A veil of hearts

•surveillance•

32
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The first rays of sunlight filtered through the blinds, rousing Joshua from his fitful sleep on the couch. He blinked, disoriented for a moment before the memories of last night came flooding back. Aina's breakdown, her revelations, the way she had felt in his arms - it all rushed through his mind.

Joshua sat up quickly, wincing at the stiffness in his neck from the uncomfortable sleeping position. "Aina?" he called out softly, not wanting to startle her if she was still asleep.

Silence greeted him.

A knot of worry forming in his stomach, Joshua made his way to the bedroom. He pushed the door open gently, only to find the bed empty, the sheets neatly made as if no one had slept there at all.

"Aina?" he called again, louder this time, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of her.

It was then that he noticed a folded piece of paper on the nightstand. With trembling fingers, Joshua picked it up and unfolded it. Aina's neat handwriting stared back at him:

"Dear Professor Bennett,

Thank you for everything. Your kindness and understanding mean more to me than I can express. But I can't stay and put you in danger. Please forgive me.

Aina"

Joshua sank onto the bed, the note crumpling slightly in his grip. The empty feeling in his chest expanded, threatening to swallow him whole. He had known, on some level, that Aina's past was complicated, dangerous even. But he had never imagined she would disappear like this.

His clothes that she had borrowed were folded neatly on a chair. It was as if she had never been there at all. A mix of frustration and determination washed over him as he stared at the spot where she had slept just hours ago.

"No matter how much I assured her, she never listens," he muttered to himself, shaking his head.

The memory of holding her, of promising to protect her, flashed through his mind. He had meant every word, but it seemed Aina couldn't bring herself to believe it.

Joshua smoothed out the note, rereading Aina's words about not wanting to put him in danger. A wry smile tugged at his lips. "As if I'm not already in this deep," he said to the empty room.

He pocketed the note and began to pace, his mind racing with possibilities. Aina might think she was protecting him by leaving, but she didn't understand. The moment he had held her in his arms, the instant he had kissed her forehead and vowed to keep her safe, he had committed himself fully to whatever lay ahead.

"I'm ready for everything, Aina," Joshua said firmly, as if she could somehow hear him. "Whether you believe it or not."

He stopped at the window, looking out at the city awakening below. Somewhere out there, Aina was trying to face her demons alone. But Joshua was determined not to let that happen.

With renewed resolve, he turned from the window. "You might not listen, Aina," he said, his voice filled with determination, "but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up."

Joshua began to get ready for the day, his movements purposeful. He had classes to teach, a routine to maintain. But beneath it all, every fiber of his being was focused on one goal: finding Aina and proving to her, once and for all, that he was in this for the long haul.

As he left his apartment, Joshua took one last look at the space Aina had briefly occupied. "I'm ready for everything," he repeated, his voice a quiet promise. "And I'll prove it to you, Aina. No matter what it takes."