A:N omg I suck
Also, if this chapter is unclear towards the end... Yay! That's intended.
Chapter editedThey buried the dead man once morning broke.
That night had been the worst night of Aiden’s life.
There was silence. No laughter, no talking, just quiet, except for the occasional sob. Aiden didn't even sleep, and judging by the looks of everyone else, they hadn't slept either.
Aiden watched them lift up the coffin the man’s body had been placed in.
Aiden wished he didn't have to go. Not because he didn't want to, but because the silence was just eerie.
The wind whipped and howled as the group dragged their feet to Five Hills. Aiden glanced towards the general direction of the tunnels, and he heard someone quietly say, “it would be disrespectful to take a shortcut.”
Aiden nodded and bit his lip. He fell into rhythm, zoning out.
But god the cold morning wind bit into Aiden's arms and face like tiny, merciless knives.
He wondered briefly how the man had died.
Stabbed, probably.
Aiden banished the thoughts from his head, and his face went blank once more.
They pulled the cofffin into the grave and covered it back up, which was considerably easier than digging it. That had been a gruelling task, and Aiden had felt exhausted just watching the more muscular people try to dig the grave.
But there was still the walk back, and the back trek to Vecuria to get Pollux and Loren that afternoon. Aiden felt dread twisting in his heart. He wanted nothing more than to run back home, throw himself into Ada’s arms, and just cry.
When they returned, everyone went their sepearte ways, not saying a word.
Frankly, the fourteen-year-old wanted to scream, if only to break the silence.
Aiden grabbed something to eat and sat in his room, reading and relaxing his sore body.
One week until his fifteenth birthday and suddenly, he was wondering if he'd make it that far.
---
That evening, Aiden clambered onto Nitika, while Rico mounted his own horse - Alastair, was it? The large black stallion was better trained than Nitika, and didn't do the same odd gate that bothered Aiden whenever he rode Nitika.
Neither of them wore their cloaks, and Aiden kept his head down, in case he was recognized.
Thankfully, nothing happened, and the two continued on, safe.
After a while, they arrived at New Horizons, and Aiden knocked on the door.
Pollux opened it.
“Oh. Hey.”
His friend turned around and shouted inside.
“Ada! Loren! Aiden's here!”
Loren stood off to the side, mostly indifferent. Ada had an odd look on her face that Aiden hadn't seen before.
Her lips were pursed into a tight line, and her eyes were rimmed with red and bloodshot.
I guess someone else didn't get much sleep.
Aiden opened his mouth to say something, but Pollux shook his head, and Ada beat him to speaking anyways.
“Please, come in. May I speak to you in private, Aiden?”
He nodded and stepped inside, while Rico just rocked back and forth on his heels until Pollux motioned for him to come inside.
Aiden pulled in a sharp breath as he walked out of the living room with Ada. What did she want from him?
---
He found out soon enough.
Aiden left the room after listening to Ada tell the tale of what really happened to Aiden's parents, and with a dejected sigh, had told him, I won't hold it against you if you hate me.
His response had been a simple, curt, I don't hate you.
And he didn't. But that didn't mean he was fine. Part of him blamed Ada, part of him was upset that such important information had been kept from him.
But no part of him hated the woman who'd raised him for almost thirteen years. His stomach churned, and sleep dragged at his eyelids.
I want it to go home.
Aiden banished the treacherous thoughts from his head.
Aiden watched Ada just stare at Rico, as her lips pressed into a hard line. She appeared to be thinking, the way she was looking at the young man, but at the same time not seeing him.
Loren broke the awkward silence.
“Should we be on our way?”
Rico nodded, side-eyeing Ada in confusion and something like worry.
“We can both ride Alistair. Aiden and Pollux will ride Nitika.”
Rico opened the door to be greeted by four Catago soldiers.
---
Loren, Pollux, Rico, and Aiden bolted out of the room as fast as their feet could carry them, which, thankfully, was pretty fast.
Aiden ducked under the table and his hand flew to the holster at his side. Inside was some sort of gun. It didn’t shoot bullets, but rather it would cause small scale explosions, enough to knock someone off their feet.
“I do hope you have an explanation for the four fleeing people, or we’ll have to charge you for harboring a fugitive or two.”
“Those are rumors, Unfounded,” Ada said.
“We’re playing hide and go seek!” Leslie exclaimed. Aiden could practically feel the grin on her face widen.
“I cheat. They have to run fast or I’ll say their hiding spots.”
Aiden silently thanked Burke, the rowdy teen who’d taught the house full of children how to lie.
“Alright, girl. I suppose you might like some help finding your friends? And you won’t mind us checking the security footage if it’s necessary?”
Aiden’s heart sunk into his chest.
Dammit Burke! You didn’t teach her well enough!
Aiden listened closely. Only one set or footsteps.
One shot, one chance.
He pulled out the gun and pressed the trigger.
Three explosions went off. Rico’s, Pollux’s, and his own.
Aiden saw plaster fly everywhere, as well as wood and what he could’ve sworn was part of the fridge.
Sorry Ada.
He rose to his feet, trembling.
His ears rung, his eyes stung.
When the dust, sulphur, really, cleared, he saw a body lying in front of him.
Right at his feet, in front of the table.
His milky, white eyes were glazed over.
Nopleasenohewasinnocent?
He felt his heart catch in his throat. The soldier was still, too still.
He’s so close to me I hit him at point-blank he's dead he’s dead oh my god I killed a man he didn’t mean to.
The words left Aiden’s mouth before he had the chance to stop them.
“He’s dead! He’s dead!”
“He’s not dead.”
It was Loren’s voice that brought Aiden out of his horrified trance.
“Just has quite the concussion. The explosions spooked the other guys. Ditched their buddy here. Wish I had one of those blasters.”
Aiden bit his lip hard enough that he felt blood well up.
With a scream he threw the gun across the room. It flew through the hole in the wall.
Aiden held his head in his hands.
Footsteps.
“Get away!”
“It’s just me.”
Ada. Ada was good, Ada was okay.
He saw her purse her lips and she stared at the wreckage that was once her kitchen.
“If I’m staying with you all, where are the kids going to go?”
A:N I love me some mood whiplash
Just so you know, Aiden isn't really the 'thou shalt not kill' type. He's just freaking out about the possibility of killing someone because;
A. They were being controlled
B. He's fourteen
