Tales Untold

Rescue from the Dark

Cinder paced back and forth through the too-small apartment, her thoughts a blur of things she knew needed to happen but couldn't bear to do. She couldn't say it to him. It would kill him, and in that, it would destroy her. Obliterate her entire being. Demolish her very soul.

But it needed to be done.

The door opened with the jingle-jangle clank-clack of the four locks on the entrance door. Cinder sucked in a breath; she knew what she needed to do.

"Hey, love," Kai beamed as he closed the old wooden door behind him. In his hand he held a cup of cheap coffee, but he set it down the second he finished locking the door. "It's freezing out there."

"Yeah," Cinder replied, unable to concentrate on the meaningless chit chat. She didn't have time for this. They would be coming for her soon. She needed to get Kai out before they came. Before it was dark.

Kai pulled off his coat and resumed his coffee drinking, a smile spread across his rosy cheeks. He always looked at Cinder like that. Like she was the soul of the world. The only reason to live. An answer the every question. He looked at her the way only a person in love could— and they both knew it.

"How was work?" Cinder asked, her hands shaking, but not due to the lack of heat in their chilly apartment. They could barely afford the electric bill, let alone to heat the place, which left them living in constant freeze.

Kai moved to sit on the couch, motioning for Cinder to sit beside him, but she refused. He frowned. "It was good. Not much news, so there wasn't much to report." He paused for a second, examining her face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Cinder lied. She was anything but fine. But she had to cut him off. It was either that or have him end up dead in the gutter alongside her. She wouldn't let that happen.

She had been stupid to believe that she could escape them, live happily— no, just normally. It had been beyond foolish of her to think that she could have someone as decent as Kaito Crown love her. Cinder was selfish to have taken him away from the safety of his father's money and into the real world of an average scum.

Kai stood from the small, rotting couch to stand beside Cinder. He reached for her hand, but she pushed it away. It hurt more than anything in the world. No— the look in his eyes hurt even more.

"Cinder—" Kai started.

"Don't." Cinder stammered. She couldn't do this. She couldn't end it with him. She just couldn't.

The couple had been living together in New York for over six months now. It had been a simple life with them barely scraping by on the pay of a lowly journalist and a mechanic, but they had been happy.

Kai had been completely disowned by his family after his refusal to marry the woman they approved of. He had been cut off entirely to be with Cinder, his secret love, but he had done it happily. Cinder had felt guilty about it at the time, but it was nothing compared to the overwhelming remorse that consumed her now.

If it weren't for her, Kai would be living the life of a king. He would have inherited his father's entire business. He would have ruled over the entire Crown empire with Levana Blackburn as his Queen. He would have lived a life of leisure— but she had taken it from him.

"Please," Kai put his hands on her shoulders, his thumbs rubbing soft circles along her arms. "You can tell me anything, Cinder."

Cinder scoffed, trying to hide her tears from him. She couldn't show her weakness. He wouldn't believe her if she displayed any sign of sadness.

"I can't do this anymore." Cinder took a step back, letting Kai's hands fall away from her. She already longed for his touch again.

"Can't do what?" Kai asked, his eyes shining with concern. His black hair crumpled downwards and into his face. Cinder longed to push it back, to run her fingers through it, but she abstained. "Are you stressed? Do you need to cut back your hours? I told you, I can totally pick up a second job. No problem. Just say the word, love."