Set after the Tree of Wishes

𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹

Aiden walked into his apartment, well, the one he shared with half of the Potatoes. The other half lived in the apartment next door. He sighed and set down his satchel, or, as Brynne called it, his 'purse'.

"It's totally not a purse," he grumbled to himself.

The day hadn't exactly been a good one for him. It had been three weeks since the fight at Aranyani's Grove. And still, there was no trace of Aru Shah. Or the Sleeper.

Aiden swore, the next time he saw that villainous piece of old crap, he'd punch him square in the face. No matter if he was Aru's dad. He abducted her! Or... no. Aiden refused to attach the words 'or worse' to that sentence.

He took a step towards the small kitchen to get himself something to eat, when something beneath his foot made a crunch sound. He looked down in surprise, and there sitting on the floor, was a crushed Cheerio.

Now, in the whole Potato household, there was only one person who loved Cheerios more than life itself. Ever since her disappearance, the Cheerio box had sat unopened in the pantry.

Aiden had worried about it going bad, but Mini told him that Cheerios can go for around eight months without spoiling, leaving Aiden wondering what exactly was in them.

But still, no one touched the Cheerios. It was like an unspoken rule. And it didn't matter that it was super dumb-sounding. Rules were rules, and even Brynne didn't break that one.

Aiden looked up. There was a trail of Cheerios scattered across the apartment, leading to a door. The door of Aru's bedroom.

"Aru?" He breathed and raced towards the door, not bothering to knock and just flinging it open.

There, casually lounging on her bed with the box of Cheerios, was Aru Shah. The girl he had started to think he'd never see again.

"Aru!" Aiden yelled.

She tore out her earbuds and smirked. "Hi Wifey. Happy to see me?"

He resisted the urge to crush her in a hug. Instead, he crossed his arms. "Where in Brahman's name have you been?"

"Eh," she paused, and for a second Aiden glimpsed something that looked like worry in her dark eyes. "I've been... around."

Aiden figured she'd spill more once the rest were back. "Okay..."

"Are you guys mad at me or something?"

"Who wouldn't be mad? You were missing for a whole three weeks, Shah! And on top of that, when you got back, you left Cheerios all over the apartment!" As much as he tried not to, a grin appeared on his face.

Aru got up and hugged him. "Yeah, I missed you too."

She squeezed him tighter. "Snob."

Aiden wrapped his arms around her. "Troll."