Episode 86
Rain had finally stopped, but the cold hadn't left the air. Morning arrived not with sunshine, but with pale gray light spilling through the cracked windowpanes of the riverside clinic.
Aria sat upright, pain still tugging at her ribs, but her eyes were clear. Lina helped her with a warm cloth, brushing aside strands of hair from Aria's damp forehead.
"You don't have to force yourself," Lina said softly, "You barely made it back to life."
"I don't want to waste another second," Aria murmured. "He traded everything just to see me once. I have to be strong."
Ayan stood near the door, arms crossed, gun tucked at his side. He hadn't spoken much all night, but now, his voice broke the silence.
"We move at sundown. I've arranged a route. Quiet. Off-grid. We get you to Raian."
Aria's heart lurched. "Are you serious?"
He didn't look at her directly. "You're not the only one who needs closure."
A quiet knock interrupted them.
Ishaan stepped in, followed by a slim figure — Saira, her eyes lined with exhaustion but alert. Both wore the look of people who had been running for far too long.
"I heard," Ishaan said, gaze settling on Aria. "He's buying you a visit with the names, isn't he?"
Aria nodded slowly. "Tomorrow."
Ishaan exhaled. "Then we don't have time to rest. Malik's doubling the bounty on every one of us. Half the city's crawling with hired eyes."
Ayan's jaw clenched. "Let them come."
"No," Lina said, firm. "We don't fight them unless we have to. We protect her. That's the priority."
Saira looked toward Aria. "Do you trust him? Raian?"
Aria's eyes didn't waver. "With my life."
Saira glanced at Ishaan, then nodded. "Then we'll help."
The room felt heavier after that. They all knew what this meant. One mistake, and it wouldn't just be Aria's life on the line — it would be all of theirs.
---
That evening, under the veil of dusk, Ayan and Lina walked the perimeter of the clinic one last time. Ayan kept his hand close to his weapon while Lina glanced upward, as if sensing something beyond the trees.
"You're tense," Lina said quietly.
Ayan didn't answer right away.
"I was too late last time," he finally said. "When Aria went missing. When Raian got caught. I didn't act fast enough."
Lina stopped walking, then placed her palm flat on his chest. "You blame yourself too much."
He covered her hand with his. "You don't blame me enough."
She gave him a small, sad smile. "That's because I see you clearly. You think you're just the man in the shadows, pulling the strings, protecting people from a distance. But I know better."
Ayan looked at her, surprised. "You still see something in me? After all this?"
She leaned closer. "I don't care how much blood is on your hands. I've seen you carry people out of hell with them. You are the one I'd follow — even if the world turns black."
Ayan swallowed, heart tightening. "I'm not good at this, Lina. The feelings. The promises."
"I don't need promises," she whispered. "I just need you to come back alive."
---
Inside, Aria stood before the mirror, wrapping a shawl over her shoulders. Her face still bore the marks of fever and injury, but there was determination in her eyes.
Saira handed her a pouch. "Medicine. For the road. You'll need strength."
Aria gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you."
"I didn't do it for you," Saira said dryly, though her tone softened. "Ishaan says Raian once saved his little sister from a trafficking ring. Said he never even asked for thanks. I figured… maybe he's worth it."
Aria's lips parted. "That girl was—"
"She's alive because of him," Saira finished. "That counts."
Aria tightened her grip on the pouch. She would see him. She would remind him he wasn't alone.
---
Night fell. Ishaan drove the armored vehicle through narrow backstreets while Saira navigated. Ayan sat beside Aria in the back, scanning every alley they passed, while Lina kept a hand near Aria's.
They reached the checkpoint just before dawn. Beyond it, a single road led to the outer wing of the prison.
The guard stood waiting, the same one Raian had bargained with. His smirk cut through the mist.
"Names checked out," he said. "He gets ten minutes."
Aria moved to step out, but her legs wobbled. Ayan steadied her silently.
"I'll wait here," he said. "Scream once, and I'll bring down the walls."
Aria gave him a nod and walked forward, each step echoing with the weight of everything she had to say.
---
Inside the prison, Raian had been pacing.
Chains still trailed from his wrist, but his mind was free, sharper than ever. He had counted every second until now.
When the door opened, and Aria was led in, he thought he was dreaming.
But when she stepped forward, shawl clutched tight, eyes wet with disbelief — he knew.
"You're alive," he whispered.
Her breath broke. "So are you."
They stared at each other, silence loud with all the words unspoken.
"I told you not to die," she said.
"I told you I'd find you," he replied.
She reached for him — chains and all — and he pulled her close, forehead resting against hers.
"You sold your empire to see me," she whispered.
"I'd sell my soul," he said hoarsely.
They stood there, clinging to the only warmth either had felt in days.
"I can't stay," she said through tears. "They'll come."
"I know."
"But I'll find a way to bring you out."
He cupped her face. "No. Stay safe. That's all I need."
"I won't leave you again."
Raian's eyes darkened. "Then fight. Out there. With the people who still believe in us."
She nodded. "We're not done."
The guard cleared his throat. "Time's up."
Raian leaned in. "One more thing," he murmured.
He kissed her — desperate, soft, full of things he couldn't say in ten minutes. She kissed him back like the world might fall apart if she didn't.
Then she pulled away, trembling, and walked out without looking back.
---
Outside, the sun cracked the horizon. Ayan helped her into the vehicle, noticing her expression — fierce, broken, alive.
"You saw him?"
She nodded.
"He still in there?"
"More than ever."
Ayan glanced at Lina, who reached over to squeeze Aria's hand.
They didn't say anything more.
They just drove — away from the prison, into the day, toward the war that hadn't ended.
Not yet.
But now, with every heartbeat, the city edged closer to rebellion.
And Raian and Aria — separated again — still burned like two stars refusing to fall.