Heart Strings|GirlxGirl

Erased

Axel's boots crunched against the gravel as she made her way toward the dark warehouse. The air was cold and still, the faint smell of oil and metal hanging heavy in the silence. The shadows from the high beams above stretched long and threatening. She arrived with purpose, but as she reached for her pocket, her fingers met nothing but fabric.

Her phone wasn’t there.

She stopped for a brief moment, a frown forming on her brow. The realization hit her—she'd left it behind. The thought of having left her phone felt strange, out of character for her. She could usually feel it in her pocket, a part of her routine. But she brushed the thought aside. It was no use dwelling on it. There were more important things at hand now. Her focus was solely on the task ahead.

Axel pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders and walked into the dim-lit warehouse, ignoring the nagging sensation in the back of her mind. The job was far too important to let distractions get in her way. She had made her choices long ago, and now she had to finish what she started.

---

Axel stood in the dimly lit warehouse, her eyes cold and focused. The heavy steel doors creaked as they closed behind her, sealing her inside with the only task left on her mind: the end of Lucas. The man who had been a constant thorn in her side, the one who had made her life a whirlwind of fear and chaos—today, it would all be over.

The mysterious man, a shadow in the corner, nodded as Axel stepped forward, her steps deliberate and confident. She didn't need to say much. The deal had been made. He knew his place in this, and Axel knew hers. She wasn’t the one who needed to get her hands dirty, not directly. She was above it. But she had learned long ago, sometimes it was easier to let others do the work you didn’t want to do.

The plan was simple. Lucas was to be taken to the back of the warehouse, where a single chair awaited him. He would be strapped down, helpless, powerless against the fate that had been sealed for him. Axel stood at a distance, watching as the men handled the work. They were professionals—too professional, in fact, but this was not the time for hesitation. They moved quickly, efficiently, as she remained out of the fray.

“Fallo finire velocemente,” Axel muttered under her breath in Italian. “Make it quick.”

The men nodded, and within moments, the cold, metallic snap of a handcuff echoed in the silence. Lucas, drugged and dazed, was hauled into the chair, his movements sluggish and disoriented. He struggled against the restraints, his eyes widening as he began to regain his senses, but it was too late. Axel had seen to that.

The man she had hired—a trusted associate—approached Lucas with a grim smile. He produced a silenced pistol from his jacket. Axel didn't need to see it; she could feel the weight of it in the air, the finality of it. With a nod from Axel, the man’s gloved hand steadied, the gun pressed against the back of Lucas's head.

"Non avere paura, Lucas. La fine è vicina." Axel's voice was low, laced with a quiet promise. "Don't be afraid, Lucas. The end is near."

And with a swift movement, the trigger was pulled.

The sound of the shot was muffled, but the result was unmistakable. Axel didn't flinch, didn't even blink. The blood that splattered across the floor was the final testament to what had transpired.

The mysterious man stepped back, wiping the gun clean with a cloth. Axel allowed herself a moment to look down at the lifeless body, her eyes narrowing as she let the weight of the moment sink in.

"Addio, vecchio amico," she said in Italian, her voice cold and final. The words were barely a whisper, a farewell to her past and a farewell to Lucas.

She turned away, signaling the end of it all.

---

Axel’s mind was still swirling with the finality of her actions at the warehouse. She had taken care of things there—Lucas was dealt with, and the threat was eliminated. Yet something gnawed at her, an unease she couldn’t shake.

---

At the apartment, Freya was lounging in the kitchen, casually glancing over Axel’s phone when she heard the buzz. Freya had no real need to check it, but she’d seen Axel leave it on the counter before, and knowing she had permission to go through it, she unlocked the phone with the code Axel had given her long ago.

Her fingers froze as she came across the message that was left on the screen. It was from the mysterious man, and the words were clear: "Lucas is coming for you."

Freya’s stomach sank as she absorbed the meaning. Lucas had escaped, and Axel had kept it from her. She sat frozen for a moment, her mind racing. How long had Axel been carrying this weight alone? How had she not known?

She stayed silent, her face unreadable, processing the gravity of the situation. Axel had always been the one to take care of things, but now the truth was staring her in the face. There was more at play here than Freya had realized.

---

Axel walked back into the apartment with a quiet sense of relief. The mission had been completed; Lucas was no longer a threat. Yet as soon as she stepped into the room, she felt the heavy silence hanging between them.

Freya was sitting at the kitchen table, her gaze locked on Axel’s phone, the message still visible on the screen. Axel’s heart dropped as she saw Freya’s expression—dark, unreadable. It was the kind of silence that spoke volumes.

"Freya?" Axel asked softly, her voice hesitant. She had known this moment would come, but it didn’t make it any easier.

Freya didn’t say anything immediately. She just looked up slowly, her gaze sharp, her face unreadable. Then, in a soft, controlled voice, she spoke.

"I found it," she said. "The message."

Axel stepped closer, her chest tightening as Freya spoke. "Lucas is coming for you," she repeated the words. It wasn’t a question. It was a statement.

Axel swallowed hard, her thoughts racing. "I didn’t want you to find out like this," she admitted, her voice quieter than usual. She took a deep breath before continuing. "But it’s over now, Freya. Lucas won’t be a problem anymore."

Freya sat there, still silent, looking at Axel as if trying to decide what to say next. Her fingers rested on the edge of the phone, and for a moment, there was only the sound of their breathing filling the room.

"I just… I just don’t want you to carry these things by yourself," Freya finally said, her voice soft but firm. "You’re not alone in this, Axel."

Axel reached out slowly, taking Freya’s hand in hers. She gave her a small, reassuring squeeze. The weight of their unspoken understanding settled between them. No matter what had happened in the past, no matter the secrets Axel had kept, Freya was here. And together, they’d face whatever came next.