AMARA WARNER.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in a maze of thoughts about my life. The stillness of the room amplified the sound of my own heartbeat, creating a rhythm to my contemplation. Suddenly, a sharp knock on the door shattered the silence and pulled me back to reality. I sat up quickly, puzzled and a bit annoyed. Who could it be at this hour? It couldn't be Aaron coming back to talk to me, could it? If it were, I was more than ready to slam the door in his stupid face.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and shuffled to the door. Taking a deep breath, I turned the knob and opened it. To my surprise, there stood my little brother, his face lighting up with a shy smile.

"Hey," Xander said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be asleep."

He shrugged and looked down at his covered feet. "I heard you and Aaron fighting..."

"Oh." I hesitated, unsure of what to say. After a moment, I spoke again. "You don't need to worry, Xan'. Aaron's just being a little assho—"

"What did you guys argue about?" he asked, catching me off guard.

I froze. How could I explain that our brother wanted to bring a girl here who was locked up for killing someone? I couldn't say that to my eleven-year-old brother.

"It's complicated. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Go back to sleep," I said softly, brushing his dirty blond hair out of his eyes.

"But I—"

I cut him off more sternly this time. "I said we'll talk tomorrow, Xander. Now, please, go back to your room."

He hesitated, his green eyes searching mine for answers, but finally sighed and turned to leave.

𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚

"Aaron wants to kidnap a girl?"

I am never telling her anything again!

"Can you lower your fucking voice, Jenna?!" I hissed at her, trying to keep my panic in check. But she shook her head, eyes wide with shock.

"No, I can't shut up, Amara. Do you know why? Because my brother wants to kidnap a girl—Oh my God! I'm related to an almost-criminal."

"Do you know who our father is?"

"That's different, Xan!" she retorted, crossing her arms defiantly.

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence for a couple of minutes. Telling my nine-year-old sister and my eleven-year-old brother about Aaron's plan probably wasn't the smartest move, but I couldn't keep them in the dark about what might happen.

Jenna stared at me intensely. "You don't seem surprised about it, though?"

"Why should I?"

Fuck, that came out wrong.

"Because kidnapping is wrong... isn't it?" Xander said, looking at me like I'd completely lost my mind.

"Yes, of course it's wrong!" I snapped, trying to regain control of the conversation. "But what matters most to me is that you two stay safe. If she shows up here, I want you to stay away from her. Don't approach, don't talk to her. Do you understand?"

They both nodded, though their expressions were still uncertain.

I took a deep breath and continued, "Besides, Aaron isn't kidnapping her."

They exchanged a doubtful glance and grimaced.

"What?" I asked, confused. "Why'd you just make that face for?"

"Well," Jenna said, shrugging slightly, "it does sound a bit like he wants to kidnap her. And honestly, knowing Aaron, it's not that hard to believe."

Xander nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he has done some crazy things before. This wouldn't be completely out of character for him."

I couldn't exactly argue with them on this point. Aaron's history isn't the best when it comes to these things. He's been known to make some weird decisions, but I'm hoping he wouldn't cross the line and kidnap a girl just to bring her here. I'd like to believe she agreed to come willingly. But, who am I kidding? I'd be stupid to actually believe all of that.

Aaron Warner was going to kidnap Juliette Ferrars.

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!

Xander's eyes narrowed. "You know what he's capable of. What are you going to do about it?"

"She can't do anything—"

I interrupted Jenna. "I'm going to talk to him. Maybe I can convince him to abandon his crazy idea."

"I don't think it'll—"

"And if you can't?" Xander asked, his voice small and scared.

"I'll figure something out," I promised, though I had no idea what I was supposed to do. "Just remember what I said. Stay away from her."

They both nodded again, their expressions a mix of worry and determination. I tell them to go back to their room. Once I was alone, I took a deep breath and steeled myself for the upcoming confrontation with my brother.

𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚

That same afternoon, I found myself in my brother's office. The room was dimly lit and pretty empty. Despite the minimalist decor, pictures of our family were everywhere, making me feel a sense of nostalgia.

On the front of Aaron's polished mahogany desk was a framed photo our mom had taken when we were three and two years old. In it, our chubby faces beamed with joy, our eyes sparkling. The vibrant colors of our clothes contrasted with the muted tones of the office.

To the right, another picture caught my eyes. It was one I had taken: Aaron holding Jenna as a newborn, his face a mixture of awe and tenderness. He was only eleven at the time but his protective stance spoke volumes about his love for her. Jenna and Aaron already had a strong bond from the get go, and this picture shows it perfectly. Next to it was a similar photograph, this time of him holding Xander high in the air, both of them laughing. The image froze a moment of pure joy, a contrast to how our lives are now.

I was so focused on the happy moments of our lives that I didn't hear someone walk in. It was only when the door closed that I noticed, turning around immediately.

"What are you doing here?" Aaron's voice cut through the room, cold and demanding.

"We need to talk," I said, my voice low and firm.

Aaron stood in the middle of the room with his hands in his suit pockets. He raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement playing on his lips, which pissed me off. "Good morning to you too, 'Mara. What's got you all riled up?"

"You know exactly what this is about."

"If I knew, I wouldn't bother asking."

"Juliette Ferrars. I'm here to talk about Juliette Ferrars."

His stare narrowed slightly. "What about her?"

"What are you thinking, Aaron?"

"I told you already," he said, moving to sit in his chair, his movements slow and deliberate. "I am thinking we need her. She is valuable."

"She's a person, Aaron. Not some tool you can just use and discard."

He took a sip of his coffee—that I hadn't even noticed—his demeanor turning serious. "I know that. But this isn't about her as a person. It's about what she can do. We need her abilities if we're going to survive."

"What are you even talking about?" I threw my arms in the air, barely containing myself from shouting. "Survive what? Who do we need protection from? Did you piss off another big guy?"

He didn't say anything. He simply looked at me, studied me in the most uncomfortable silence known to man. It looked like he was searching for answers in my eyes, but I didn't even know the questions.

Finally, he spoke again, his voice quiet and filled with an edge of desperation. "You don't get it."

"Then explain it to me," I begged, my voice cracking. "I want to understand what you think we need to survive besides the war outside these walls."

Aaron rubbed his temples, looking more tired than usual. "Listen, I will bring Juliette here whether you want it or not—"

"I don't."

"I understand that you are worried about the kids, but you're not the only one who cares about them. They are my siblings too, and I raised them as much as you did. Don't worry about me putting them in harm's way because I never would."

"But—"

"No," he interrupted me, his expression darkening. "You keep doing your things—drinking and killing yourself—while I do mine. As always."

Ouch.

My heart clenched at his words. "And here I thought you were being compassionate for a moment," I scoffed, letting out a bitter laugh to mask the pain. "You're a fucking asshole."

His face softened for just a moment, a flicker of regret in his eyes before it vanished. "You'll thank me after all this."

"Thank you?" I whispered, because if I spoke any louder, I'd be screaming. "How could I thank you when you're about to cross every line we ever set?"

"Sometimes, lines have to be crossed for the greater good." He looked away, unable to meet my gaze.

I shook my head. "If you go through with this, you're not just crossing a line. You're burning every bridge, Aaron."

"I've made my decision, Amara. You can't change it. Just accept it."

I looked at him for a moment, his posture rigid, a mask of determination hiding whatever guilt he might feel. The brother I once knew seemed so far away, buried under layers of desperation and resolve. My heart ached with the realization that this might be the point of no return for us.

Then, I nodded and walked to the door. As I reached for the handle, his voice stopped me.

"Juliette's coming in a few hours, by the way."

WHAT I WANT TO SAY !

🎀

hello. no amarakenji this chapter FORGIVE ME 🧎‍♀️

i don't have much to say besides that this is rlly short and feels like a filler but next chapter juliette appearance so let's prepare for some annoyance to best friends type shit between amara and juliette ✊👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

i love the little bond between amara xander and jenna like okay siblings core give it up 🗣️🗣️🗣️

anyw amara and aaron are having a rough start but let's give it some time yk they're brothers and sisters it's a canon event

written. 12th february, 2023
posted. 14th july, 2023
rewrite. 7th august, 2024