2024-12-07 22:16:59
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Breaking Point
AriaWhen I heard the sound of the metal above us groaning like it might give way at any second, I was so petrified by fear that I didn’t know what to do or how to even react. It felt like this was unreal. This could not be happening, but as I heard the metal overhead creak more, that’s when it hit me, this wasn’t a dream. It was real.After I shook off the fear, I scrambled forward, trying to loosen the knots around his arms, but Ellen’s voice stopped me cold.“You know, I could end this right now,” she said. Her tone was light, almost casual, like we were talking over coffee instead of standing in a room where Zion’s life was hanging by a literal metal thread.I turned toward her instantly, my eyes raw with desperation. “What are you talking about?”She smirked softly, and it was calm in a way that made my skin crawl. “The beam, ropes. All of this. I could stop it right now. If you do one thing for me.”My heart dropped at the mischief in her tone. “What thing?”“Let him go.” She sa
Fractures
AriaYou know when someone looks you dead in the eye and starts pulling out things you didn’t even know you’d said out loud? No? Well, I’ll tell you what it’s like. It’s like having someone pull off your skin, your privacy, and your deepest, most intimate fears to the very person that made you have these fears. That was what Ellen was trying to do to us. She stood between us like some twisted host of a game show, with a smug face, acting like she was about to reveal the grand prize. Only, in our case, that prize was pain. “You know what’s funny?” she said, and I swear my skin crawled. “Neither of you really trusts the other. You put on a pretty picture, all hand-holding and soft looks. But underneath? Oh, it’s nothing but cracks.”Zion stiffened beside me, and his voice turned sharp. “Ellen, stop!” He yelled, but she just steamrolled right over him, like always. “Do you want to know what he told me, Aria?” She asked, leaning in, then glanced at him again before looking back at me.
The Darkness Lifts
AriaI think I may have been unconscious for a long time, because when I opened my eyes, it felt like I had been underwater too long. Everything was blurry, my ears were ringing, and for a second, I couldn’t remember where I was. I blinked slowly, trying to pull the pieces back together. What was I doing here? How did I get here? And that was when the pounding ache at the back of my head reminded me.The warehouse. I was at the warehouse for Zion!I was lying on the cold floor, with my cheek pressed against the rough concrete. My hands felt heavy as I pushed myself up, and the effort made my head spin so hard I almost collapsed again. I took in a deep breath and forced myself to stay upright, even though my body begged me to lie back down.The room was dim now, lit only by a single bulb that swung slightly overhead. I could see shadows stretched across the walls like long fingers, and for a second, I wondered if I was alone. That was when I heard it again. The faint sound of Zion’s vo
Shadows and Silence
AriaBy the time I reached the warehouse, my hands were already hurting from how hard I had been gripping the steering wheel. I parked the car a little way off, because I didn’t want anyone to notice a vehicle that didn’t belong in this deserted part of town. For all I knew, if Ellen was really here, she could have some of her goons staking out the perimeter. Come to think of it, it’s what she probably wanted. For me to walk into a trap. The silence outside didn’t help either. Everything felt eerie, felt strange, heavy, almost like it was staged, and it made me move more slowly as I climbed out of my car and shut the door quietly.The air was damp and sharp with the smell of rust. The ground crunched under my shoes as I walked toward the building, and every sound seemed so much louder than it should have been. My heart was pounding in a way that felt impossible to control, and I kept whispering to myself to breathe, to stay steady, even though I felt anything but calm.The warehouse
Missing
AriaI knew something was wrong the second the clock ticked past midnight, and my phone still hadn’t buzzed. Zion had said he needed some time to think things over and would let me know what he had settled on today. He was never late without a reason, and he always made sure I knew where he was. Even if he was too busy to call, he would send me a quick text, just to let me know. He had never left me waiting like this, and the silence pressed heavier with every passing minute.At first, I told myself not to panic. I made tea and sat by the window, trying to calm down. Maybe he had been caught up in something, I thought. Maybe he was sorting through everything in his head after what I told him about Ellen. He would need time, I told myself. He would come back with answers. But as the minutes dragged into hours, my chest grew tighter, and the tea went cold, untouched.I scrolled through my messages again, even though I already knew I hadn’t missed anything. I called him once, then again,
The Lock on the Door
ZionThe room went quiet after my words. My chest was still tight, and the echo of Ellen’s last outburst hung heavy in the air. Still, she stood there, her eyes wide, and her lips trembling, like she wanted to speak but couldn’t decide which version of herself to let out, the furious one, or the soft one she thought might convince me.I remained standing and couldn’t sit, not with my heart racing the way it was. My arms were crossed tightly over my chest, though I wasn’t sure if I was protecting myself from her or from the way her words had cut.“You think I’m crazy,” Ellen finally said, looking up at me. Her voice was lower now, steadier, almost eerie after the shouting match we had just gone through. “But I’m not. I’m the only one who’s been honest with you, Zion. I’m the only one who sees what’s real.”I shook my head slowly and heaved a tired sigh. “You’re holding me in some hidden place, Ellen.” I began softly. “You staged a hack to ruin Aria. You tried to steal her identity. Tha
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