Episode 74 — The Price of Breathing
Raian's eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the low morning light. The first thing he saw was Aria — slumped at the edge of the cot, arms still wrapped protectively around him, her cheek pressed against his chest. Her lashes trembled in sleep, her face pale and streaked with dried tears.
He moved slightly. Pain bloomed across his side like fire.
Aria stirred, jerking upright. Her eyes locked on his.
"Raian…" Her voice cracked, relief flooding through it like a dam breaking.
He blinked again, disoriented. "Where…"
"The warehouse," she whispered. "You were shot. You almost died."
His throat was dry. "Did I... say anything?"
"You said you were cold," she replied, brushing his damp hair back. "You said my name."
He turned his head slightly, gaze scanning the ceiling, the crumbling beams, the dim light. "Still alive," he muttered, as if surprised.
"You made it." Her hand was on his forehead. "Fever's down."
He tried to sit up, but his body refused. "How long?"
"Two days."
He exhaled slowly. "Should've been dead."
"Don't say that."
Raian's eyes found hers again — unreadable, intense. "Why are you still here?"
Aria's lips parted, but no answer came immediately.
He looked away. "You should've run. Saira wouldn't have stopped you."
Aria reached into the side basin and pulled out a cloth, dabbing the sweat on his neck. "I didn't stay for her."
"Then for what?"
"For you."
He flinched — not visibly, but she saw it in the way his jaw tightened.
"You think I'm worth that?" he asked quietly.
"I don't think," she said. "I know."
Silence stretched between them.
Then Raian asked, "How bad was it?"
"You lost a lot of blood," she said. "I stitched it myself. Infection started, but we caught it."
"'We'?"
"Saira helped. She went out and got antibiotics."
Raian's eyes narrowed. "She risked herself?"
"She said she owed you."
His eyes fluttered shut again. "No one owes me anything."
"You're wrong." Aria folded the cloth and dipped it in cool water again. "You carry the weight of everyone you've ever tried to protect — but you never let anyone carry yours."
Raian didn't reply. His breathing deepened, like the exhaustion had begun to press back into him.
But before sleep could pull him under again, Aria said softly, "I need you to promise me something."
He turned his head toward her.
"When you're strong enough… no more running. No more walls. I need the truth."
Raian didn't speak for a long moment.
Then: "If I give you that… you might hate me."
"I already hate you sometimes," she whispered. "But I still stayed."
A dry chuckle escaped his lips — one that turned into a wince. "Cruel woman."
"You're the one who taught me."
They both fell quiet again. She shifted slightly, her hand never leaving his.
Raian opened his eyes one more time. "Is it over?"
"No," she said. "It's just starting."
—
Later that day, while Raian slept again, Aria stepped outside into the alleyway. The sky was bruised with rainclouds, the city's ruined skyline blurred in fog. Her heart felt heavier than ever.
Saira stood nearby, arms crossed, watching the road.
"He's stronger than I thought," Saira murmured. "But that wound…"
"He's not out of danger," Aria said. "But he's fighting."
Saira nodded, then added, "He dreams violently."
Aria looked at her.
"He calls out names I don't recognize. Sometimes… he calls for someone named Varyn."
Aria's stomach dropped. "Varyn?"
Saira hesitated. "I don't know who she was. But he flinched like it hurt to say her name."
Aria's mind spun. She'd never heard the name before. Not from him. Not even in the dossiers she'd seen.
A ghost from his past?
Or a part of the truth he still hadn't given her?
She walked back inside slowly, her gaze falling on Raian's still form.
If there was a Varyn… if there were secrets buried deeper than the ones already tearing them apart — how much more could she take?
She sat beside him again.
He stirred, his eyes half-opening. "You're back."
"I never left."
He reached out, his fingers brushing her wrist. "Thank you."
Aria held his gaze. "One day, you'll tell me everything. Won't you?"
Raian's eyes didn't waver.
"I will," he said. "Even if it ruins everything."
She squeezed his hand.
"Then ruin me," she whispered. "But don't lie anymore."
---
Teaser for Episode 75:
Raian recovers — but the world outside is shifting fast. Aria faces a devastating offer that may keep Raian alive… but cost her everything else.