𝑀𝒶𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝑒𝒶 | 𝟏𝟖+

21.

Ellianna Kingston

Dressed in a skimpy tank top and my last pair of decent sweatpants, I made my way to the bar. It felt ridiculous, honestly, but I didn't have much choice. I barely had any clothes left, as if the universe—or maybe Kairos—was trying to corner me. When I reached the bar, I spotted Nadia right away, her foot tapping anxiously against the floor as she sipped from her glass. Another drink sat untouched to her right, clearly meant for me.

With a quiet sigh, I slipped onto the stool next to her, not saying a word as she glanced up. Her expression was guilty, almost painfully so, but there was a tension to her shoulders that told me she wasn't just here to apologize. She was rehearsing what she wanted to say, and it didn't take long before she took a shaky breath and began.

"Elle, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I should have told you, but I—" she hesitated, searching for the right words. "I couldn't, you know? Kairos... he made it clear that I couldn't say anything. I didn't want to lie to you, but he... well, he has his ways."

I stayed silent, feeling the anger simmer just beneath my skin, but she seemed determined to explain herself.

"It's not like I didn't want to help you," she went on, her tone pleading. "You have to understand that I... I had no choice. None of us did, really. It wasn't just me, Elle. It's everyone close to Kairos. We all have to play by his rules, whether we like it or not."

My grip on the drink tightened, the glass cold and smooth under my fingers as I held back the urge to snap at her. She noticed, her eyes flicking nervously from my hand back to my face, but she kept talking like she was desperate to make me understand her side of things.

"You know, I thought about telling you, so many times," she continued, her voice shaking now. "I wanted to pull you aside, just say something, anything, but he... he'd have known. Kairos doesn't miss a thing, Elle. If I'd told you, it would've been the end of... everything."

Her words felt hollow, excuses that fell on deaf ears as I clung to the bitterness gnawing at me. But then, her voice cracked, her resolve slipping as tears filled her eyes.

"I'm sorry, okay?" she whispered, her voice barely holding together. "I never wanted to hurt you. You're... you're my friend, Elle. I didn't mean for it to go this far."

Something inside me softened at that, despite myself. Seeing her like this, fragile and remorseful, tugged at me, and for a moment, I allowed myself to consider the possibility that maybe she did feel guilty. Maybe, in her own way, she really had been trapped by Kairos, just like I was. I took a deep breath, forcing down the anger still coiled tightly in my chest and finally managed to speak.

"It's fine," I said, my voice quiet but steady. "I'll be fine, Nadia. But I don't trust you. Not anymore."

She nodded, swallowing hard as a single tear traced down her cheek. "I understand. I... I don't expect you to."

For a moment, the two of us just sat there, the silence stretching between us. Then, her gaze shifted, lingering on my tank top and sweatpants, and a small, barely-there smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, a faint laugh slipping out.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, thinking it was the worst time for a joke.

Nadia shrugged, trying to hold back a smirk. "I was just thinking... if you need anything, I mean, anything at all, just let me know."

I huffed, rolling my eyes but feeling a tiny smile tug at my own lips. "Well, you could start with more clothes," I shot back, a touch of sarcasm lacing my words.