Woven in Shadows (agatha x rio)

Fractured Threads

Chapter Thirty-Three: Fractured Threads

The sunlight filtered through the thin curtains of the motel room, casting a pale glow on the worn carpet. The space felt stifling, though the morning air carried a chill. Agatha sat on the edge of the bed, her hands trembling in her lap, her chest tight with emotions she couldn't name. Across from her, Rio leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her expression blank.

Blank.

That was the part that hurt the most.

"Is she okay?" Rio asked, her voice cold and clinical as she nodded toward Nessa, who was still curled under the covers of the adjacent bed.

Agatha flinched at the sound of her voice not because it was sharp, but because it was hollow. Gone was the warmth, the teasing edge, the way Rio used to say she's fine and mean so much more.

"She's fine" Agatha replied, though her voice cracked. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "She just needs rest."

Rio gave a short nod, pushing off the wall. Her movements were smooth and deliberate, like a shadow gliding across the room. She walked to the window and peered outside. Agatha watched her, every step a reminder that the woman standing before her was no longer the same.

Rio didn't look back.

"Where are we?" Rio asked.

Agatha bit her lip, trying to steady herself. She had answered this question twice already. "We're in Serona" she said softly, her voice almost breaking. "A town just outside the woods. We... teleported here last night, remember?"

Rio turned slightly, her piercing eyes meeting Agatha's for a brief moment before flicking away. "Right" she said. No apology, no acknowledgment that she hadn't remembered.

Agatha's chest tightened further, and for a moment, she thought she might suffocate under the weight of it all.

This wasn't Rio.

This was Death wearing her face.

As the morning stretched on, they tried to fall into a rhythm, though every movement felt foreign and wrong. Agatha prepared coffee, her hands trembling as she poured it into mismatched motel mugs. She placed a cup on the table for Rio, who stared at it as if it were an unfamiliar object before eventually sitting down to take a sip.

Agatha sat across from her, watching every motion, every flicker of her expression. But Rio didn't look at her. Not once.

"I need to ask" Agatha began, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you really not... remember me at all?"

Rio's gaze flicked up, and for a moment, something like hesitation crossed her face. But it was gone as quickly as it came. She leaned back in her chair, the mug resting loosely in her hand.

"No, I remember Nessa" she said plainly. "Should I Remember you? I have no memories of you but deep down i feel like i should..."

The words hit Agatha like a physical blow. She gripped the edge of the table to steady herself, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. She wanted to scream, to shake Rio, to make her see but there was no point.

Rio didn't remember.

"I'm sorry, I think" Rio added, though the apology lacked conviction. She said it like she was checking a box, like it was what someone should say in this situation.

Agatha looked down at her hands, blinking back tears. "Don't be" she murmured. "It's not your fault."

By midday, they decided to leave the motel both for Nessa's sake and to keep moving forward. They couldn't stay here, not with the mirror's magic still untested, its purpose unresolved.