ALESSANDRO'S POV
[ one of my favorites ]

I stare down at my good blankly, tossing the little fruits in the bowl with my spoon, losing my appetite little by little if it's not lost already.

Akila has been off lately, it has been a few days since she left our suite in welt in the morning, to come back as night falls with an unease screaming louder than her weak voice.

She wouldn't shake, she would sit so still, my sight blurred her out. And what worried me the most, her silence.

She didn't speak, she didn't wrap herself around my arms and told me about her day, one of her old adventures. It was different, far. We got ready each morning, taking the elevator together there and making our way to the university.

We got closer with the chaotic group, and I still stand my group about being, acting as Akila's beloved friend.

Although she didn't give me much attention, it broke something in me when she freely spoke and laughed into their conversation and haven't even tried one with me.

I am aware it's an act, it's a part of the mission to blend in and hide our true colors, projecting one that helps our story, our cover.

Before we came here, I wondered why we had to do all of this, pretend, change names and fake ids. We could've easily tracked down our target with no need of undercover and forcing fake smiles.

But then I don't doubt Akila, nor do I question her. I know she calculates everything in her own twist angelic way, acting and doing for our best yet it got to me, more than I would admit, how much I wanted to join her knowledge, to charge and we both plan together instead of her plotting on one side while I work on my path. I wanted to be her partner, not sequel.

Sebastian snaps his fingers in my face, bringing me back from my thoughts. Adelina and Georgiana are both watching me while Akila, Amaya and Darius are drawn somewhere deep into a fun discussion it seems by her bright smile. "You know at first I thought she loved you but it looks like her eyes are dry on someone else" Adelina shares her fair thoughts and admits her assumption. I try not to reach much and offer a soft shrug but I know, God I knew when my shoulders rose and fell, they kept falling.

"Are you okay" Georgiana's soft voice broke the silence and I felt Sebastian and Adelina shifting away from us.

I closed my eyes, breathing in and nodd. Once my lashes flicker open, Georgiana is now leaned closer across from me, her arm resting on the table, crossed, one palm holding her right cheek that slightly touched with color.

All of a sudden she pushed back and stood up. "Walk with me" she asks, more demanding but she fails as her shyness creeps in, fear of rejection feeding on her insecurities.

I take a forbidden moment to look into her eyes, for the time since we met these people. I held her gaze with mine, unlike the other times she tried and I left her holding onto nothing.

Her eyes battled with emotions, too many of them even if they were fully black, nothing would hide and lock away what the heart fluttered.

I almost see myself in her, imagining if that's how I look when I'm staring but into forest green, deeper and buried with hazel who's now drawn to another.

I don't give a proper answer and help myself on my feet. "Lead the way" I feel sets of eyes on me, including Akila's and Darius but I'm far ahead to look back now.

We walk away, moving outside the cafeteria. I was a few steps in front of Georgiana due to our height differences and her petite steps. Georgiana is five three by the looks of it.

I slow down and wait for her, acting like a whole gentleman. "Apologies Georgiana" I agree hee too formal, even I wouldn't buy the fake manners. She shoves me and giggles, "Stop being so serious" her smile misses one dimple, exposing only one on her left cheek.

She noticed my burning gaze on her face and smiled deeper. "Yeah. Too much to ask for my other stolen dimple" her finger twirls a piece of her dark brown hair, straight, falling below her elbows.

She notes all of my moves which I'm not used to, she also likes to comment on them, it could either be self conscious or simply talkative.

"I want to cut my hair" a wave of silence washed between us and I realized a couple seconds later she was waiting for my opinion.

"Sure, I think you will look great" her eyes sparkle with magic and more stories to tell I've yet to hear.

"Let's get out of here" She whispers but I listen. And in one motion, she grabs my hand and drags me forwards.

I fought the urge to jerk back when her hand touched mine and focused on something less rude. I thought how similar out temperature is, how she felt nothing like Akila

Georgiana is like a timid rabbit, reflecting sunshine into her big brown eyes, working and picking between a little boldness or her shy nature.

It's always new seeing someone escape out of their comfort zone, trying and attempting new ways of life could give only if you allow it.

"Georgiana, I think we've gone too far" she sighs loudly, completely ignoring my point where we're a few miles away from the ocean and brought onto something else, "Why do you call me Georgiana" I raise an eyebrow at her choice or question and answer logically, "Because it's your name"

"No. But everyone calls me Giana except for you. Even Amaya does" I could hear her chance of tome again the mention of Akila, Amaya.

I don't say anything for a long time until she finally gives up. "Forget it, we're almost there" she guides me down an empty road and soon enough, the woods.

Is this girl crazy?

"Why do you look so confused? Do you not like it? We can go back, I have a lot of places I can tak—" I inhale sharply and take hold of her other hand tightly, "I like it" she resolves and then her cheeks fill with color again, fast and easy unlike what I'm used to yet again.

She awkwardly disconnects our joined hands and I look around this place. It's not wild life nor a forest, a simple friendly group of trees, night before the Black Sea.

My shoes dig into the sand as I follow Georgiana. She finally ends my misery from walking on small seashells and stones. She climbs on a rock that I only needed to top tone just for settlement. She took offense at the way I sat down easily, showing off what she's missing and the hard life she must live. I grin, regarding her carefully and reading her raw emotions. "You should smile more"

I drop our connection and let the comment fly away with the winds. "I'm serious. You look less in" she pauses to search for the right words and flashes with warmth when she finally says, "pain."

I chuckle, unsure if the pain ever stops or goes away. "I don't smile enough" my eyes squirt at the sun rising from her side. She shakes her. "Not in a bit"

"I think his smile is better away from the ladies or none will be left for us" Sebastian is the first among them speaking his joke or sarcasm, whatever he calls it. The rest surround the rock me and Georgiana sat on, Akila circling Darius as always while he falls into her seduction.

Georgiana's plans were clearly ruined because of the two gentlemen, their female friend and Amaya crashing in.

I couldn't care more or less, I just concentrated on the sea, forgetting about myself and the last couple days as the waves washed away where we won't meet again.

The six of us spent the whole afternoon on the beach, them rambling about topics I was long gone to catch on.

My mind was obviously occupied, even if I didn't say it aloud.

We stay until the sun sets and decide it's time to leave before ghosts haunted the night. Akila laughed at Darius's joke and he waved her goodbye.

"I will walk back to the hotel" I slowly inform her, calmly walking the opposite way of the bus station.

If she followed me, or even crossed her mind to join me or maybe stop me, I didn't hear her footsteps.

God knows I was listening closely for her call, her step, her breathe.

But they never came. She never came.

I don't know what's been going on between us and I refuse to assume without her actually sending any reason for something I may have done to anger her.

I recall none from my behalf and if not speaking with me, looking into my eyes or even initiating the first words is called normal then I believe we are truly creatures of another alternative because this is not how me and Akila are, this is not how we are around each other.

Frustration works the worst out of me, driving me to take a cab and arrive before her, if she won't, I will do something.

I kick the door open, immediately searching for a tool, strong enough to break wood.

I storm into the bathroom and the shower curtain pile looks perfectly fine to me.

Call me mad, insane or even dramatic, I will take it.

Removing the last part of these glued curtain hangers, the pole rests in my grip for a moment until I'm on the left side of the room, raising my arm high with the pole and landing it on the bed.

I kept hitting the bed, her bed, several times and it successfully broke. Much better.

The moment that cursed pole released from my hand, dropping on the flour echoing a sound, Akila walked in.

She doesn't acknowledge me, as our usually and glare unblinking at the bed. "What is wrong with you" her voice is furious and tamed from lashing any more anger unneeded about this, about us.

"What is wrong with you" I swear her wall shattered, adding a million pieces to an empty lonely collection before she quickly, in one swift instant, snatched it away from me.

The muscles of her jaw flex, uncertain with the new wall building between us, growing faster, faster off the invisible shards of the wall I've just broken.

"I didn't mean—" she looks at me, really looks at me and I slam my mouth shut, knowing these sweet words are not for us, for her.

She caught a deep breath and walked past me. I turned around, watching her sit on my bed on the opposite side of hers.

"Tell me" her voice breaks but her face holds still no matter what. I sigh from the bottom of my heart, hating each second of this, each reason that leads us here, apart, distant from one another.

It's the main reason, the main cause of our anger, confusion and grief. I miss her and I hope, deep down, she misses me too.

This has happened before and now it's repeating all over again, we're acting unfamiliar with this new life, of staring at one another yet forbidden to have.

I waste no time and cross the room, I stand in front of my bed, in front of her. Her head is lowered to the floor, shoulder and full body weight drained to the ground benty us as if she's about to fall and I would catch her, over and over again.

"Akila" her name rolls off my tongue so easily, I've missed her more. My hand doesn't hesitate to reach for her face, cupping her cheek and caressing her neck. "I'm tired" and there it was, we both fell.

I'm on my knees, both my hands supporting Akila's face up, to look at me the way she does, in annoyance or numbness, anything but this.

"I'm so tired Alessandro" she clenches into my shirt and cries out with no tears, scream with no voice.

A part of me evaded, sold and empty space where it left, never coming back after this sight, after this part of Akila I feared.

Not her fire, not her fury, not her beauty and passion for murder and blood. This. This is the line I've prayed God in the skies to destroy, do anything to never appear.

And there it was, a hit in my face like no other, damaging and wrecking my soul, every last bit of sanity and strength left in me.

Once she falls, I fall deeper instead of her, once she breaks, I crumble, I absorb her pain because I can't, I can't and will never be able to look into her eyes and imagine someone else, a pair of unknown hazel replaced of hers that makes no match, no challenge for who she is, who she stands in my heart and mean more than the stars and planets combined, more than the galaxies in the universe, more than what humanity could give and the soul can sacrifice.

"I'm the one to blame. I know that, whether you deny it from now till the end of being"

"Acting, pretending, laughing, smiling. All of it makes me sick. I hate it. The things it did to us. The way I've let it slip and get out of my control" her nails sink deep into her flesh, an ounce of blood fell on the bed sheets.

I grasp her first and open it gently. I lean into her, pressing my lips in her palm, kissing her distress away, hooping I would help in any way possible because I can't see her like this, I can't take looking at her and find sadness, agony she always got away from but this time, this time it for too close, too close I'm willing to do anything, anything to drive it away again and for always.

Her blood stained my lips but I don't care, nothing matters now except for her. I need her to talk, to tell me and I listen, I separate the ground and burn oceans if that's what it takes, if that's what it takes to bring her back to me, my strong Akila, my love.

"It's a mess. I thought" her teeth grit, guilt and regret spread, breaking more walls, more breaths, breaking my heart.

Akila tightens her grip on me, allowing nature to serve her air and peace before speaking, "The girl, he's not" there were no words needed, no explanation or deals to bring us time to stop Akila from making that mistake.

I sigh quietly, knowing she will beat this up for nothing, she will take it hard because it's new, it's strange to be mistaken for once. "It's not your fault" I softly brush my knuckles down her hair and she shakes her head. Failure is a remarkable feeling, an endless memory, reminding you, over me rover or your past mistakes, your past flaws.

Akila felt doomed, lost but she's not. She hasn't failed, she never does or will in my eyes, I'm everyone's eye who had the chance, the honor to know her and live.

"Mistaking who he is doesn't mean you failed, Akila" her chin high, her pierced gaze blasting into mine. There's no sound between us, as if the world is observing near, holding onto the next move.

I've had enough, I've waited long enough and I won't stand down hopeless, I won't go down until I lift her up first.

My arms wrap around her waist and drag her down as she lands in my lap. I sat on the floor, my legs bent back while my arms embraced Akila's hope, her hands joined behind my neck, lockedfor support, for assurance, for hope we forgot and left behind.

"Let's get out of here" I whisper in her ears, ineed of her approval, her order and we will disappear. I release a deep exhale on her shoulder and lay there. "We can't" the words make it out of mouth, washing over me even when I knew the answer, even when I knew they were coming, they still found a way of revenge, hungry to pain me for knowing before it's ready.

My head is pushed back, held right before face, shadows hiding what she's best at concealing, buried away into a void. "Get up"

With one force, I stood on yk feet with Akila clutched to me. "Kiss me"

All of my worries are set behind, my thoughts, my life, the entire world and its circling, it's centered around her, her voice, her kiss on my lips and mine on hers. The kiss, it felt like no other, it unlocked another door, another path to understand each other, to break through minds and read, flip the pages and learn her tears, tell them, dried and dead.

She broke a spell, a spell she had cast the night she ran away, the night her bravery hung across her chest as an armor of silver, of the long waterfall of her steaming tears, her harrowing childhood and stolen years, years she bore, she ached all alone. A pursuing choice, accord, the one that took everything, a part of her to walk away from.

Her kiss brought back a decade, a version of Akila I've never seen. She projected a memory, a worthwhile reminisce that planned dark and veiled for an eternity, until I walked in.

The union of the past and present unhook, towing her lips along. I bite on my swallow skin, scared to meet her gaze after what she shared what she gave away and that person, that one she trusted with her demons, her wreckless fears, her cruel journey, is me.

My heart feels heavy, taking in the weight of her ability, her true might I once thought I knew, I once thought glimmers the brightest but there was more, much more given up in the prior and reminiscence, where she stood up, she owned her ground and pulled on the rope with all of her sway, her screams, her scars and strengthened. The dark and night pours and pound her heart, defending her assance, bowing and protecting the little kid who deserved better, a warm hug, a motherly embrace and pure unconditional love.

So at this moment, I make another vow, I swear, I swear to abolish the remaining of the last, of her trapped ache, healed but lonely, ended but spiritual with vitality.

Another vision breaks through my eyes, not one she commands, one that my mind schemed. An image of a field, white daisies with a yellow center, radiating along the sun. In the middle, green plants crooked from each side, rotating a brown head, golden and bay strands influenced under the sunlight. Her clothes are dark, her features are outlying. She's crying, the sound of her sobs colds my blood and fractures my heart. I try to approach her, to get closer and brush the hair out of the way, allowing me perspective and concern. My arm stretched and right before I made contact, she departed into laughter, giggles and joy I've mistaken of shred and shallow.

Without my first attempt, the woman twirls, betrays, divulges her heterochromia eyes, one as deep as green land reaches the earth and one, one as amber as stones by the Palaeogene forest in Northern Europe.

Her hazel cleared, no longer joined and split into two, painting her orbs with disparity of tinge.

Everything else appeared normal, implied the Akila I know nonetheless the lively luccicare lounging and gleaming around her. Her pores produce and create the aura, riveting and blazing in guard and shield.

At first it shelters, seizing her body from every angle, fearless and ready to attack. I lower my gaze, unable to close my eyes in case it vanishes but melts and flies away within the skies.

The flare clam, serene its glint for my reach, my fondle and feel.

A track of wind hit us, waving the short bangs, exhibiting a symbol on her forehead, carved, imprinted with dark brown ink.

The wind crashed back, dropped and ceased immediately, robbing any opportunity I had to read and explore the imprint before it secured.

Her figure starts to fade, turning her legs into misk, fluttering away into nothing.

Her stomach area goes, her arms and chest. Nullity, going one by one until her face endures and for just a beat, she unlatches and utters mournfully. "Salvami" save me.

Bubbles vibrate from her mouth, as if she's bolted, pinned down in an aquarium of glass and crystal, drowning to the bottom with no escape.

Her eyes beam, glove, dazzling with so much leoht, blinding luminous and in one immediate possession, she fully DEMOLISHED.

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