We were torn up.
Not just bruised. Not just bleeding. I mean gutted, from the inside out.
Battle like that don't leave you with clean hands or a high. It leaves you hollow, heavy, trying to breathe through the pieces of yourself you ain't had time to patch up. Cindy's hands were shaking, even when she tried to hide it. Nyx's flames flickered low, barely more than a whisper curling around his knuckles. And me? I was walking, but I wasn't really here. My body was still in the fight, still in that moment I thought we might lose.
Alice...23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4JY0SIApK
Aya.
She didn't say much. Just pressed forward through the madness like she was dragging all our shadows behind her, pulling us deeper into Wonderland's bones. The place looked like a dream dying slow, skies melting into cotton candy pinks, ground cracking with overgrown checkerboards, clocks hanging from trees like rotten fruit.
But it listened to her.
Like the whole world bowed when she passed.
"No one's been in the real Wonderland for years," she finally said, voice soft but weighted, like memory pressed against every syllable. "So, i guess we safe here for the time being."
She stopped hands on her hips as if presenting something proudly. And there it was.
Her lair. Buried in the belly of a place that shouldn't even exist. Hidden behind ivy and illusions, and wrapped in silence thick enough to muffle the ghosts.
It wasn't built, it grew. A cathedral of wonder and wild. Mushroom lanterns floated through the air, casting soft glows on walls made of bone-white glass and tree bark that pulsed faintly, like it was breathing. Beds weren't beds, they were giant flower petals curled in sleep. And above it all, the ceiling pulsed with constellations that didn't belong to any sky I'd ever known.
Aya turned to us, eyes rimmed in shadow, but fierce. "It's safe here. For now."
"Damn," Nyx muttered, eyes wide. "I got the biggest room!"
Cindy leaned into him, her voice a sigh, "If this is what crazy looks like, I'm insane lock me up shit. I just want five minutes with somethin' soft to lay on."
"Then rest," Aya said with a laugh. Not a suggestion. A command. "The world'll still be burning tomorrow."
We all found a room. The others drifted off one by one, Cindy curling up on a bed of golden leaves that bloomed as she touched them, Nyx knocking out on a moss-covered couch like the flames in him had finally gone dim.
Me? I took the last room down the hall.
The door was carved from something ancient, wood that shimmered like oil under moonlight, pulsing faintly beneath my palm when I pushed it open. The inside felt... alive. Like the room had been waiting for me, memorizing my name without ever hearing it.
I stepped in slow.
The walls shimmered with a deep, navy hue, like the inside of a dream you forgot but couldn't shake. Vines crept up from the floor, blooming with midnight flowers that closed as I passed. There were no windows, but above me, the ceiling was glass, showing a swirling sky that wasn't outside. Galaxies spun lazily in it. Stars blinked. Time unraveled quietly.
At the center, a bed, massive, sunken into the floor like a crater. Covered in soft black furs and silks that shifted shades when you looked too long.
I sat on the edge. Let my body slump. For the first time in forever, I wasn't bracing for the next blow.
I leaned forward, elbows on knees, hands clasped together. Blood crusted at my knuckles. Dirt etched into my skin like a second layer. My reflection blinked at me from the polished floor, eyes tired, jaw set, the prince they all remembered... buried somewhere under the man I'd become.
I took a breath. It hit sharp.
Didn't even realize I'd been holding it.
My thoughts drifted to her again. Aya. The way her voice cut, like truth, even when it hurt. The way she looked at me. Like I was a curse she couldn't decide whether to lift or live with.
I had every right to be hated. Hell, I hated myself some days.
But even in her fire, she let us in.
That mattered.
I pulled off my boots, let them hit the floor with a thud. Shrugged out of my coat, bloodstained, torn at the sleeve. Every inch of me screamed. But the bed? It caught me like a lover. Warm. Heavy. Soft in the way the world never was.
I laid back.
For a moment, I didn't feel like a soldier.
Didn't feel like a ghost.
Didn't feel like anything but human.
The knock was soft, barely a whisper against the hum of the room. I didn't move. Figured maybe I imagined it. I wanted to imagine it. But then it came again.
"Come on," I muttered, voice rough. "If it ain't death, come in."
The door creaked open.
Aya stepped in, carrying a tray. Hair still a mess from the fight, eyes too tired to pretend she wasn't. She looked more real like this than she ever did in legend.
"I brought food," she said, not looking me in the eye just yet. "And water. You look like hell."
"That's generous for a girl who hates me." I pushed myself up on one elbow, watching her cross the room. "Is it poisoned?"
She didn't laugh. Just set the tray down on the table beside the bed. A carved bowl of glowing fruit, steaming bread, cool water in a twisted glass shaped like a rose.
I watched her hands as she worked, still shaking, just a little. Couldn't tell if it was adrenaline, or my eyes that were scaring her more.
"Thanks," I said, quieter.
She finally looked at me then.
Her mouth opened like she was gonna say something sharp, but it didn't come. Instead, she exhaled, long and slow, and dropped into the chair across from me.
"Don't get it twisted," she said. "I'm still pissed at you. For the kingdom. For what you did. For what you let happen."
I nodded. Couldn't argue with that.
"But..." Her voice cracked. Just once. She swallowed it down like pride. "You stopped to save my life back there. You could've left me."
I didn't blink. "Wasn't an option."
"Yeah?" she tilted her head, studying me. "Why not?"
"You're Aya. The girl who bit off The Queen Of Heart's head and dared it to bite back. You're more alive than most of the damn world. You're a phoenix just waiting to spread its wings, Aya. What this broken world needs. And even if you hated me, I wasn't gonna let that go dark."
Silence stretched between us. Her eyes searched mine like she was trying to find the lie in it.
But there wasn't one.
After a while, she sat back. Arms crossed. But her shoulders... they weren't as stiff.
"You don't make it easy to forgive you."
"Like I care for it," I said. "I'm just here to make sure the next time you fall, someone's there to catch you."
That hit something.
She stood again, like maybe staying any longer would've pulled too much out. But before she left, she looked back over her shoulder.
"Rest up, Charming. We've got a kingdom to ruin."
The door closed behind her.And somewhere in between thoughts and silence. I actually fell asleep.
~Cindy~
I couldn't breathe.
The quiet was too loud.
Every time I shut my eyes, I saw fire. My mama's voice screamin' through it, raw, scared, breakin'. And I was just standin' there, useless, with the smoke burnin' my throat and my legs too heavy to move.
I sat up in bed, my chest tight, hand clutchin' the edge of the blanket like it could anchor me. But it didn't. Nothing did.
It was just a dream.
Except it wasn't. Not really.
That scream? I'd heard it before. That fire? I'd seen it, lived through it, still smelled it sometimes when the wind blew wrong.
I wiped my face with the back of my hand, sniffed, and swung my legs over the bed.
I didn't want to be alone no more.
Didn't even think where I was goin' till I was there. Crypt's door. My hand on the knob.
He might be mad. Tell me to go. Tell me to be strong or some other hard thing. But right now... I needed somethin' softer. Something safe.
I turned the knob.
And there he was.
Laid out on the bed, like a statue carved outta fire and stone. One arm tucked under his head, the other across his chest. Breathing slow. Chest risin' and fallin', steady.
I froze.
He was asleep.
Crypt Hallows. Prince Charming. Monster. Hero. Traitor. Savior.
Fast asleep.
I ain't never seen him like that. All that edge he always wore was gone, just... gone. His face didn't look angry or burdened. He looked, beautiful. Like peace done snuck in and wrapped him up for a change.
I stepped in quiet, shut the door behind me. My heart was poundin' like I was breakin' rules.
I sat on the edge of the bed, arms around my knees, just starin' at him. My voice came out in a whisper.
"I had one of them dreams again," I said, not even knowin' if I wanted him to hear. "One of the ones that feel more real than real. Mama was screamin' my name, and I, "
My throat closed up. I bit it down. Didn't wanna cry again, not tonight.
"You ever get tired of bein' strong?" I whispered, lookin' over at him. "You always walk around like the world ain't heavy, but I see it. I see the weight in your eyes."
He didn't move.
I laid back, slow. Didn't touch him. Just close enough to feel that warmth comin' off him like a fire that didn't burn.
"I not tryin' to bother you. I just... I needed not to be alone tonight. That's all."
My eyes got heavy after that. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I just closed 'em for a second,
Then I felt it.
Movement.
I turned my head.
His eyes opened slow. Heavy-lidded, still in that space between dreamin' and wakin'. They landed on me. Not angry. Just quiet. Confused.
"Cindy?" he rasped, his voice rough from sleep.
I swallowed hard. I woke him up. "Yeah....It's me."
He stared at me a moment longer as if trying to decipher if I was real or not. Then, he leaned his head forward just enough to touch mine,, eyes flutterin' shut again. His breathing slowed as he drifted off to sleep again.
And just like that, I felt safe.
Like the fire couldn't reach me no more.
~ Crypt~
She was still there.
Tucked into the sheets beside me, small and soft, like she belonged there. Like the fire in her had finally gone still.
The sun was just peekin' through the cracks in the curtains, dust catchin' in the light like gold in water. And for the first time in a long time... I didn't wake up with blood in my eyes or steel in my hands.
Just her.
Cindy.
At first, I thought I was dreaming. My mind don't usually give me nothin' sweet, but this? Her curled up close, breathin' even, like the world hadn't tried to break us both ten times over? Felt like a lie.
But it wasn't.
Last night came back in pieces. The door creakin'. Her voice in the dark. That fear she tried to bury, same kind I knew too well. Then her layin' down beside me, trustin' me to keep her... safe.
Me.
Safe.
Hell of a thought.
I could still feel her warmth where her shoulder brushed mine. I didn't move. Didn't breathe too loud. She looked peaceful. Fragile, even. Like one wrong word could make her vanish or turn back into the hurricane she kept locked behind her ribs.
I studied her face.
She always walked around like she couldn't be touched. Chin high. Eyes sharp. But here... here she was just a girl.Just Cindy.
I reached out, fingers hoverin' over a braid layin' on her cheek. Didn't touch her. Just watched the way she slept, like she hadn't done that in a long time. Like maybe, for once, she wasn't afraid.
I let my hand fall back against the pillow.
Didn't know what this meant.
Didn't care right now.
All I knew was, I'd kill for her peace to last. Even just one more minute.
And if the world came knockin' again, lookin' to drag her back into the dark...
It'd have to go through me first. With that I let myself drift back to sleep just to stay here a little longer.
~Cindy~
The sunlight hit me like a damn spotlight, making my eyes squint as I tried to blink away the haze. For a second, I was confused, disoriented. The room felt too quiet. Then I felt it, the heat next to me. A weight, solid and steady. I froze.
I wasn't used to waking up with someone else nearby. I mean, I always woke up alone, or the world was so chaotic that I didn't even notice. But this? This was different.
I was in Crypt's room, and he was still asleep.
I turned my head slow, careful not to wake him, not wanting to ruin whatever calm I'd never thought I'd see from him. His breathing was deep, steady. Peaceful. I'd never seen him like this, always on edge, always ready to snap. But this? This was new. And... damn, it felt like a privilege, somehow, to be the one there.
I tried to remember the last time I saw him asleep. Hell, I couldn't even recall the last time he actually let himself sleep. Dude's been carrying the weight of the world for way too long. The nightmares, the guilt, all that heavy shit. I could barely believe he trusted me enough to let me stay close.
But there I was, watching him sleep. And for a second, I almost felt like the world slowed down. Like nothing else mattered.
I knew I should've gotten up, slipped out before he woke up, but I didn't want to disturb him. Didn't want to break whatever this moment was. So I stayed there, breathing with him, letting everything else fade away. My heart beat slow, matching his, and for once, I didn't feel like I was fighting to keep it all together.
But... the weight of everything came crashing back. The fights, the blood, the damn chaos we were always swimming in, it wasn't over. Hell, it was just getting started.
When I finally stood up, I winced at the quiet. It wasn't that I didn't wanna stay, hell, I would've stayed in that soft moment forever if I could. But I couldn't be soft. Couldn't be weak. Not now, not when we were about to go back into battle.
I glanced at him once more, almost like I wanted to memorize the moment. Then, I reached for the door, hoping to slip out without waking him.
Then I heard him. His voice, low and rough, like he was still half-asleep.
"You're still here?"
I froze, hand on the door. Damn. He was awake. And I hadn't even realized it. My heart started pounding, and I didn't know what to do with it. Should've just slipped away. Should've let him sleep. But now... now I felt like I'd already disturbed him.
I turned back to face him, trying not to show how wrecked I felt. I didn't want him to see how much I was falling apart. I wasn't supposed to break.
His eyes were wide open. No groggy morning bullshit. He was just... awake. Watching me. It felt like he could see through me in a way nobody else could.
I bit my lip, stalling, not sure how to explain the mess in my head. "I... yeah. I was just... leaving."
He didn't say anything right away, just looked at me, like he could read every damn thought bouncing around in my brain. And that's when he said it.
"Cindy," his voice was firm, like he wasn't playing around. "Sit down."
I hesitated. Sitting still? Me? That was a damn joke. But the way he said it, there wasn't any control in it. It wasn't an order to shut me down. It was an order to stay. To be real. To be present.
I sat down beside him without thinking, folding my hands in my lap to keep them from shaking. I couldn't look at him, though. My eyes stayed glued to the floor, the rush of emotions threatening to spill out.
His voice cut through the silence again, softer this time. "Talk to me."
I couldn't swallow the damn lump in my throat. I opened my mouth, but no words came. Just raw emotion I didn't even know how to untangle.
"What is it?" He asked, quiet and patient. Like he already knew, but he was waiting for me to say it.
I let out a shaky breath, finally breaking. "It's... the nightmares. I keep seeing her, Crypt. I can't get away from it."
"Who?" He asked.
"My mother." The words felt like poison, but they also felt like relief. Saying them out loud made the weight feel a little lighter, even though it didn't erase the damn pain.
Crypt didn't say anything right away. He just watched me. Like he was waiting for more. Like he wasn't rushing me. Just... letting me speak.
"I don't know how to stop it," I whispered, voice trembling. "I can't make it stop, Crypt."
His gaze softened a little, and then, after what felt like forever, he spoke.
"You don't," he said, low and firm. "You stop yourself. You stop your guilt."
I shook my head, confused. "What do you mean?"
He sighed, like he was trying to find the right words. Then he finally said it, with that quiet confidence that always made me want to listen. "You gotta focus on what you can do now, Cindy. Not what you should've done. You're fighting for something. You're standing up. That's what matters. Your mom would be proud of that."
I blinked, trying to process what he was saying. It didn't make the nightmares go away. But maybe... maybe it was enough. Enough to keep me going, to make me fight through it all.
Crypt leaned back a little, looking more relaxed than usual. "And listen... if you ever feel scared, or like you can't do it, just come to me. I'm here. Don't carry it all by yourself."
I couldn't even process that. Me, asking for help? That was something I didn't do. But the way he said it... it felt like I could. Like I wasn't in this alone.
"You're right..." I whispered. "Thank you."
He smirked, but it was softer. Less cocky than usual. "Anytime. Just... try not to wake me up next time, yeah? I'm a light sleeper."
I laughed, shaky but real. "I know, I'm sorry," I said, feeling the weight of everything he'd just said, but lighter for it.
After talking with Crypt, I could feel the weight on my chest ease up a bit. The nightmares were still there, but they didn't seem so damn heavy anymore. I knew they wouldn't just vanish overnight, but at least I wasn't carrying all of it alone. For the first time in a long time, I didn't feel so damn lost.
I pushed myself off the bed, determined to start the day with my head a little higher. I wasn't about to let weakness take over. Not now. Not after everything we'd been through.
When I stepped out of Crypt's room, I could already hear voices coming from the main hall. Aya, Nyx, and Crypt had all gathered, probably plotting their next move like they always did.
Aya was sitting by the fire, her eyes fixed on the old maps of Wonderland she had laid out in front of her. She looked all serious, but I could see that fire in her, like she wasn't gonna let anything hold her back. Nyx was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, looking like he was half-asleep, but you knew he was paying attention. Dude's like that.
I walked into the room, trying to shake off the last of the nightmare fog. Crypt followed close behind me, and there was this weird silence between us, like we both knew we'd been through something, but neither of us wanted to talk about it just yet.
Aya glanced up and smiled when she saw us. "Morning," she said, soft but with that strength in her eyes. Like she'd already woken up to take on the world.
Nyx looked at me and grinned, though I could tell there was a shift in him too. He wasn't just messing around today. "Finally woke up, huh?"
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Sorry I didn't pop up at the crack of dawn, Nyx," I shot back, trying to lighten the mood.
Aya looked me over and nodded. "You needed rest. We all did." Her tone was easy and understanding, like she knew what I was dealing with without needing to say much.
I gave her a small nod, feeling the weight of that truth. Then, I spotted the map spread out on the floor in front of her. Curiosity got the best of me. "What's all this?"
Aya leaned forward, tracing her finger over the worn paper like she was plotting some kind of grand escape. "It's Wonderland," she said, her voice steady. "And it's going to be your new home. We're turnin' this place into a hideout. A place no one will expect us to be."
I glanced at Crypt, just to see how he'd take this. But he just shrugged it off like it didn't even faze him, stepping closer to the map and looking it over. "A hideout, huh? Sounds solid."
"We need somewhere to regroup, plan, and get ready for whatever comes next," Nyx added, pushing himself off the wall and walking over to Aya. "We've got the whole damn Wonderland to work with, and no one's been here in years. Perfect place to disappear."
I scanned the room, my mind racing. Wonderland wasn't exactly what I'd call safe. But it was hidden, at least. We could make it work. No one would expect us to be here. And hell, maybe I could start feeling like we actually had a shot at making this thing right.
Aya nodded, folding the map up and tucking it away. "Exactly. But we'll need to secure some of the entrances, stock up on food, weapons, all that. We've got time, though. And we've got the element of surprise on our side."
"I like it," Crypt said, his voice calm but sharp. "But we can't just sit around. Once we settle in, we get to work. Winter, that royal family? I'm not waiting forever to take them down."
"I'm with you," Nyx chimed in, his usual carefree attitude replaced with something a little darker. "But we gotta move slow. We don't take unnecessary risks. Wonderland might be safe for now, but it's still full of dangers. We gotta be smart about it."
"I agree," Aya said, her voice firm like she was already mentally planning every move. "We're not just gonna hide here forever. We'll make it our stronghold, but we'll stay sharp. We can't take this place for granted."
I took a deep breath, looking down at the map. Everything still felt heavy, but the thought of having a place to fall back on, a place we could regroup... yeah, that was something I could get behind. It wasn't perfect, but we could make it work.
"I think this could work," I said, my voice steady and sure. "We'll make it work."
Aya gave me a look, that genuine one that made me believe in this crazy plan for a second. "We'll make it our home, even if it's just for a little while. We'll take this place, make it ours. And when the time comes, we'll strike."
Crypt's gaze was hard, eyes narrowing like he was already seeing the battle ahead. "Right."
The room fell into a heavy silence. I felt a little less scared. Maybe we could actually make this work.
~Crypt~
I was ready to hit the ground running. I turned to them, already formulating plans in my head, ready to talk strategy.
"Alright, we need to break it down. I've been thinking about the next move. We should collect as many forces as we can, then hit them when they least expect it. We'll need to reinforce the entrances and the base, get more intel on our weak points..."
I didn't even get a chance to finish before I caught the looks they were giving me. Aya, Nyx, Cindy, hell, even the air around me seemed to freeze for a second. It was like I'd just dropped a bomb in the middle of the room.
Aya was the first to speak up, her voice laced with a smirk. "You're not serious, are you?"
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
What the hell did she mean?
She shook her head, her eyes narrowing. "Crypt, bro, you talkin' about battle plans and strategy these guys look tired you feel me?. What you need is some rest. A break. I'm not hearing you on the whole 'more work' thing. You have to know when to boost morale."
Cindy, who'd been standing by the window, folded her arms and gave me that look. You know, the one that told me she could kick my ass if she had to. "Aya's right, Crypt.I mean, it's been a hard first half of a year."
I wanted to argue. I really did. I didn't have time for rest, not when there was so much on the line. But before I could respond, Nyx, goddamn Nyx, just leaned back in his chair like he was some kind of philosopher, not a guy who'd been caught in one hell of a fight himself.
"Yo, you really gonna keep playing general when we're out here just tryin' to chill for a second?" His grin was as laid-back as ever, but I could see the edge of seriousness in his eyes. " You're making us all feel like we're under the gun while you're over here trying to plan the next war. You need to relax. We need to relax."
They all stared at me like I had three heads. I could feel the pressure building, but it wasn't the kind of pressure that came from leading a battle, it was the kind that came from people who cared too damn much.
I let out a breath, glancing around at their faces. They weren't budging, no matter how much I wanted to insist we keep going.
"Look," I started, trying to keep my tone even, "I get it. You want a break, but we can't afford one. We don't have the luxury of down time when the clock's ticking, and everything's falling apart. I'm not trying to play the hard-ass, I'm just trying to keep us focused.Father Winter probably knows what we've done by now and..."
Aya stepped forward, that cocky smirk back on her face. "Crypt, the problem is you never stop thinking. You never turn it off. You're always planning, always strategizing. When was the last time you even took a minute to breathe?"
I hated it when she was right. She was always right.
I swallowed hard, trying not to let them see how much that hit me. It wasn't like I didn't appreciate them. It wasn't like I didn't trust them. But... I couldn't shake the feeling that if I stopped, everything would crumble.
Nyx stepped up next to me, clapping a hand on my shoulder with that usual smoothness. "Listen, bro. If you don't chill, you're gonna burn yourself out before you even get to the real fight. You can't help anyone if you're running on fumes. So how about this? We take one day. One damn day. Rest up. You can go back to your battle plans and your crazy strategy tomorrow. But today, you're coming with us."
I couldn't argue with him. Not when they all had that look on their faces. I let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through my hair.
"Fine," I grumbled. "One day."
Aya raised her hand like she'd already won. "Deal. It's a day at the carnival. Nothing crazy. Just... fun."
I wasn't sold on the idea. Fun? Me? But I couldn't ignore the glimmer of something in their eyes, something that told me I was about to do something I wouldn't regret. At least, that's what I told myself.
When we hit the carnival gates, I felt the tension in my shoulders even more. Maybe it was the vibrant colors, or the dizzying sounds of laughter and music echoing around us, but for the first time in a long while, I wanted to run. Aya was practically bouncing with excitement, her laugh cutting through the noise like a melody.
"Come on, Crypt! You're gonna love this," she grinned, grabbing my arm as she dragged me toward the ride.
I tried to hold my ground, but damn it, I could already tell she wasn't going to take no for an answer. "No!," I muttered, glancing at the towering metal structure.
"Bro, you've been through a thousand battles. You can handle this," Nyx teased, walking up beside me with that smug grin. "Or you scared?"
How ...dare he?. Scared? Me? Please. I wanted to yell, but the whole damn crew was hyped, I just shrugged and went along with it.
The ride was a blur of screams, wind, and adrenaline. I wasn't gonna lie, there was something about the thrill that made me forget everything else. For a few seconds, it was just the rush of wind in my face, the sound of the track beneath us, and the wild turns that yanked us around.
When we stumbled off the ride, my legs were a little shaky, but I could feel something lighter in me, like maybe I wasn't always the hardened soldier. Maybe, for a moment, I could just be... me.
Cindy shot me a smile, clearly enjoying my disheveled state.
I suddenly felt myself blush.
We spent the next few hours wandering around, hitting all the carnival games, tossing rings on bottles, and stuffing our faces with cotton candy and popcorn. It felt like we were all kids again, like the weight of the world had paused for just a little while. Aya managed to drag me into a ridiculously competitive water gun game, and I'll admit, I might've enjoyed it more than I wanted to admit. Cindy kept insisting I should've let her win, but I couldn't do that. Not when my pride was on the line.
"Nah-ah, again you cheatin'" she challenged, as we both eyed the target.
"Fine," I shot back, a grin tugging at my lips. "Still gonna lose though."
We weren't the only ones competing. Nyx was casually lounging in the background, his trademark grin never leaving his face. But I could see the ease in him, the relaxed posture that told me he wasn't thinking about the next battle or some plan of attack. Hell, even Aya was letting loose, teasing me with every small victory and poking fun at how ridiculously competitive I could get over something as simple as a carnival game.
As the day wore on, I started to forget what I was here for. The smiles on their faces, the way Cindy kept joking around, the way Aya kept pushing me to have fun, it was a bliss. The chaos of the world outside seemed miles away.
Eventually, as the sun began to dip low in the sky, we found ourselves standing racing for the Ferris wheel. It was getting darker, and the lights of the carnival lit up the night like a thousand stars.
We piled into one of the cars, the four of us crammed together, and the Ferris wheel slowly started its ascent. I could feel the tension slip away even more as we rose higher and higher, the lights of the carnival shrinking below us, the world outside becoming distant.
Cindy leaned back, resting her head on the seat, and smiled. "This... this is nice."
Aya nodded, looking out at the horizon. "Yeah, it is."
There was a pause, and I could feel the quiet settling in like a blanket.
We reached the top of the Ferris wheel, and I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding.
"You know," I said quietly, finally letting my walls crack just a little. "This isn't so bad."
Aya gave me a side-eye. "Yeah, we know. "
I chuckled, the sound escaping easier than I expected.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsnChMwJOR
