The thunder had faded into a low hum far away, but its echoes still lingered like the memory of fear.
The rain had softened too — a gentle tapping against the windows, steady and rhythmic.
Jack sat by the table, tracing the rim of his cup. The faint warmth Arora had given him still lingered on his skin, pulsing quietly beneath the surface.
For the first time in years, he didn't feel alone.
---
Then — Ring. Ring.
The sharp tone of a phone cut through the stillness.
Arora's head lifted. She reached for the device, her posture shifting from soft to sharp in an instant — the Black Rose reclaiming her throne.
"Excuse me," she said, her voice even. "I need to take this."
Jack nodded quickly, almost too eagerly. "Y–yes! I'll wait for you."
Her eyes lingered on him for a heartbeat — on the faint flush on his face, the hesitant smile.
He's like sunlight trying to exist in a storm, she thought. Too bright for this place… too kind.
Then she turned and stepped into the next room.
---
The voice on the other end was rough, tense with static.
"What happened? Tell me," she demanded, pacing slowly, her tone cold but tight.
A faint voice crackled back, distorted by the line. "We found him… in the west block. I'll be there in a few minutes."
Her brows furrowed. "What should I do now…"
She lowered the phone, her mind spinning. I have to go there.
But her eyes flicked to the kitchen doorway, where Jack was waiting, tracing shapes in the condensation on the window.
I can't leave him alone. He's still terrified of thunder. Of being abandoned.
Her hand pressed to her temple. He's not supposed to matter this much.
And yet… the thought of him sitting here alone in the dark was unbearable.
With a sigh, she straightened. Then I'll just bring him along.
---
When she returned, Jack looked up instantly, his face lighting like a child seeing the morning sun.
"Jack," she said firmly, "come with me."
"Okay!" He jumped up without hesitation.
Arora blinked. "Won't you even ask where we're going?"
"Nope."
"Why?"
He grinned, eyes glimmering like mischief wrapped in innocence. "Because I like traveling with you, baby."
Arora nearly choked on air. This idiot…
Her expression stayed cold, but her heart skipped traitorously. If I didn't know who he really was, I might've actually fallen for that line.
"Listen carefully," she said, recovering her composure. "We're going somewhere dangerous. Stay beside me no matter what happens, understand?"
Jack straightened like a soldier. "Got it!"
---
The Drive
They stepped out into the rain, its mist curling through the glow of streetlights. The city reflected itself in slick asphalt, gold and gray merging into a blur of motion.
Inside the car, the only sounds were the rhythmic sweep of the wipers and the low hum of the engine.
Jack leaned against the window, watching the raindrops chase each other down the glass.
Arora's hands gripped the steering wheel, her reflection faintly visible in the side mirror — composed, unreadable, but her mind anything but.
Why am I taking him? she wondered. I could've left him with Kelvin or Miso. It's reckless.
She glanced at him. And yet… if I'd left him behind, I know I wouldn't have been able to focus.
The thought scared her more than any gunpoint ever had.
Jack turned slightly. "Should I be cautious of anything there?"
"Just do exactly what I say," she replied.
He nodded, his tone suddenly serious. "Alright."
Her chest warmed unexpectedly. He trusts me completely.
Idiot, she thought, fighting a smile. You really shouldn't.
---
The Hotel
The car stopped before a grand hotel, its façade glowing gold in the rain — beauty masking something rotten beneath.
Jack's eyes widened as they entered. The lobby glittered with chandeliers, but the air was heavy, almost too still.
A man in a dark suit appeared from the shadows, eyes sharp as blades. He inclined his head once. "This way."
Arora followed without hesitation, the click of her heels echoing against the marble. Jack trailed behind her, his steps cautious, hand brushing hers every few seconds like a tether.
They passed through a narrow corridor that twisted into a hidden passage. The air grew colder; the sound of the city disappeared completely.
Jack's heart pounded. The walls felt close, the air metallic.
Then a figure appeared ahead — tall, thin, smirking like a viper waiting to strike.
"You finally came, Arora," the man said, his voice slick with mockery.
Arora's expression didn't change. "Where is he?"
Jack's stomach twisted as he glanced around. Men filled the space — armed, silent, dangerous. Every one of them stared at Arora like prey who'd walked into the lion's den.
Instinctively, he grabbed her hand.
Her fingers twitched but didn't pull away.
"It's nothing, Jack," she said softly, her tone gentler than he'd ever heard. "Stay close. I'll be back in a few minutes."
His grip tightened. "Okay… but come back soon."
Her gaze softened. "I will."
For a second, she wanted to keep holding his hand — the warmth of it steadying her in a way she didn't expect.
But the world she lived in didn't allow warmth, only masks.
She slipped her hand free and walked forward.
---
The Meeting
The tunnel opened into a wide underground chamber. The smell of concrete and old blood filled the air.
The man from before leaned casually against a pillar, the smirk gone now. "Who's that little boy, Arora? You picking up strays now?"
Her eyes hardened, voice cutting like a blade. "That's none of your concern. Just tell me where the person I'm looking for is."
He exhaled through his teeth. "Always straight to business… still the same ruthless queen."
"Careful," she said coldly. "Your mouth will get you killed someday."
Tension coiled between them, the kind that precedes a gunshot.
---
Meanwhile, behind that wall of danger, Jack sat on the edge of a chair, knees bouncing nervously.
He glanced at the narrow doorway she'd disappeared through.
She said she'd come back soon…
The sound of rain above felt distant now, like another world entirely.
He clasped his hands together, whispering under his breath, "Please be okay, Baby…"
The word hung in the air like a fragile prayer — the kind only someone pure enough to believe would dare to say.
And somewhere beyond the walls, Arora stood alone in the dark, her heart caught between the woman she had to be… and the one she was becoming.
To Be Continued.