Into The Unown

The Dream

For the first time, Aria woke up, not to the cries of her children but to an unsettling quiet.

It was three in the morning and yet there were no cries, no calls of "Mommy, I had a nightmare" Only silence. And it terrified her.

Throwing off her blanket, she rushed to Derek's bassinet, and found him fast asleep. Relief overtook her, but unfortunately like Alain, it was short lived. Horror quickly crept back in when she found Alice's bed was empty.

Panic surged through her veins as she hurried through the Oak Ranch—searching every room, every lab. Her worry only kept growing with every empty room she found. It was only as she descended the stairs that she spotted her daughter through the window, standing alone in the moonlight atop James's grave.

Aria pushed open the door and stepped into the field, her nightgown blowing behind her as she ran toward Alice. Her daughter stood in the calm of the night, bathing in the moonlight. The mild winds blowing her tousled hair.

"Alice, darling," Aria called, "what are you doing out here?"

Alice didn't respond. Her expression was animated—like she was trapped in some dream or nightmare.

Aria shook her gently. "Alice, speak to me. What's wrong?"

Finally, Alice spoke. "I saw her," she said.

"Saw who?"

"The woman who looks like Serena."

Aria frowned. "Looked like Serena? Are you sure it wasn't her?"

Alice shook her head. "No, it wasn't Serena. Serena never hurt anyone. This woman... she..."

"She what, sweetheart?" Aria knelt, taking her daughter's hand in hers, directly meeting her eyes.

"She showed me things. Horrible things. She said... she said if Serena doesn't talk to her again, she'll show me more."

"More of what?"

"She said Serena isn't the only Van Black out there. And if Serena doesn't agree to see her..." Alice's voice wavered, her small frame trembling as tears filled her eyes. "She'll keep showing me... more of those horrible things."

Aria pulled Alice into her arms, carrying her back to back. Whatever had happened tonight, it wasn't over—not for Alice, and certainly not for Serena.

"Just remember, we're three siblings going to Paikend Islands for a vacation," Gary said. Although his tone was calm, his eyes served as a looking glass to the tension underneath them. "Smile, smile, smile."

The three of them boarded the Paikend Island cruise, their faces stretched into fake smiles. After their cover had been blown, leaving the Capital and then the country had become a necessity. The cruise to Paikend Island was their quickest escape to the hidden city of Okera—a place Ash had visited before with Spencer.

"Okera's closer to Capital Orre than Paikend Island," Ash muttered under his breath as they underwent the necessary check-in, "but we don't have a choice. We'll take a boat to the Baek Mountains after this and hike the rest of the way."

Serena nodded silently; she was present in body but not in spirit. Ash gave her a passing glance,  there was so much he wanted to say, but this wasn't the time—or the place.

Gary turned to the both of them, "Keep your heads down. Don't give anyone a reason to notice us."

The next half and hour had been gruelling for the three of them. Passing through the security with fake identification wasn't as easy as they made it out to be in the movies—the fear and tension were alone to make them lose five pounds by just sweating.

When they were finally alone in their room, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"That felt like a stick up my ass," Gary cried as he collapsed on their shared bed.

Ash let out a groan as he arranged their baggage in a single file in case they needed to make a quick getaway. "Do you always have to be so descriptive with your words?"

"If I'm not how will you understand the pain I'm in?"

Ash winced as he slipped off his jacket. His body still ached from the encounter with Karma, the bruises and cuts his body had still refused to fade despite the medication he had taken.

Gary noticed his discomfort and stepped forward to help him. "Are you still in pain?" he asked. "The medicine should've worked by now."

Ash sighed, "Yeah, it should have," he muttered. He didn't want to overthink about it, but Eiran's recent warnings echoed in his mind. Was he really running on borrowed time—on borrowed energy?

Gary placed a hand on Ash's shoulder, "You need to rest. I'll take the first watch."

Ash nodded reluctantly. Gary turned his attention to Serena, who had been quiet. "You should rest too, Serena. You need it."

"I'll be fine," Serena said, a hint of color returning to her pale face. "You two rest. I'll take the first watch."

"Serena, you—"

"I'm not going to run away," she interrupted, her lips curled into a deceptive smile. "Where would I even go? Overboard? I promise, I'm staying right here."

Gary hesitated, but Serena's unwavering answer silenced him. Ash shot her one last look before the comfort of the bed dragged him in. Gary followed shortly after, leaving Serena alone in the cabin with the sound of crashing waves to keep her company.