Episode 004
1345 Words
This hour, the streets of Astralis were quieter, and their familiar cacophony muffled by a thin fog rolling in from the harbor. Head down, moving through a city, her footsteps sounding faintly on slick pavement. She barely noticed the chill in the air seep into her bones. Loud and relentless, they churned through her thoughts, drowning out everything else.
Every step was heavier than the last. In one hand, she held her father's pendant tightly, the cold metal cutting into her palm. All she had left of him was now was the pendant, her anchor in a storm that refused to relent.
A corner, though she rounded and stopped abruptly, it was upon spotting the black sedan parked across the street. The headlights were off, but the faint silhouette of someone inside was unmistakable. Panic flared in her chest.
Camilla had found her already?
Without a second though, Kiran turned sharply and dove into an alley. The hum of the city itself died away, replaced by the thunder of her heartbeat in her ears. She didn’t stop until she saw the flickering neon sign of a hotel in the fog.
It wasn’t her first choice; she didn’t have a first choice anymore, but it was the closest thing to shelter she could find.
When she stepped into the lobby, it was quiet, the warm air embracing her like a slight hug. The receptionist barely glanced at her before returning to his screen, tired-looking. Kiran looked at the elevators and hesitated.
Her chest tightened. She couldn’t afford a room. She could barely afford her next meal.
She needed to rest, if only for a moment.
The bar was serving businessmen in a dark group nearby; she noted the faint buzz of their conversation. Their suits were sharp, their voices low, but Kiran didn’t linger. She moved past them and headed for the elevators.
She pressed a random button and leaned against the cool metal wall once inside.
She whispered to herself, “Just five minutes." “Just long enough to think."
Ding, and the doors opened. Stepping into the dimly lit hallway, Kiran looked for an empty corner or a janitor’s closet. She saw a door slightly ajar and a sliver of light spilling out of it.
Exhaustion pressed her forward, and she hesitated. The room was large and succulently luxurious, far beyond what she had dared to imagine. The floor-to-ceiling windows and the sleek modern furniture barely registered with her. She saw only the plush couch near the centre of the room.
On instinct, her body collapsed upon the couch before her mind could interject. Her exhaustion was piling up; it was pulling her down to a heavy, asleep, but never asleep sleep.
---
His damp face towel clutched in one hand, Jason Barger stepped out of the bathroom, his head pounding. Carly had stuck a sedative in him earlier, and it still dulled the edges of his thoughts.
Midstep he froze, his narrowed, sharp eyes when he spotted a figure sprawled upon his couch.
He thought he was hallucinating for a moment. There was a young woman there, her long dark hair fanned out like in a halo, her face troubled, even in sleep.
Jason’s body tensed, and his jaw tightened.
“Who the hell are you?"
Her eyes fluttered open, and Kiran stirred. The instant she saw him, panic flared in her chest. Her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps, she scrambled upright.
She was stammering, her voice hoarse. “I didn’t mean to—”
Jason sharply, but control, interrupted her, “Start explaining.”
Kiran’s words got tangled in her throat. His gaze was so intense, and the absurdity of her situation was so great that she was fumbling for an explanation.
“I... Finally, she said her voice was trembling, 'I just needed somewhere to hide.' I didn’t know this room was occupied.” I swear."
She looked at Jason, his face unreadable. But the initial spike of anger was gone, replaced with something more measured now that he was taking in her appearance: the exhaustion that it left in her features, the faint tremor in her hands.
“You broke in?"
“No! The door was open."
"You thought that made it fair game?"
Kiran flinched; shame crept into the accusation of her voice. I didn’t know what else to do. "I didn't have anywhere else to go."
The faint hum of the city outside was the only sound in the room, for a moment. His sharp gaze never leaving her, Jason crossed his arms.
“Who are you running from?"
Her mind raced, and Kiran hesitated. She couldn’t tell him everything, not now, not when she didn’t even know if she could trust him.
She lied, her voice steadier this time, “Paparazzi.” “They’ve been following me for days.” I just... I needed to get away."
Jason gave him an unconvinced eyebrow. Paparazzi don’t normally hound people unless there’s a reason. What’s yours?"
The implication hung in the air, the question.
Her fingers tightened around the pendant as she looked away. “It’s complicated."
Jason’s eyes went to the pendant, and something flitted across his face, maybe curiosity or recognition. But he didn’t press further.
Finally, he said, “Complicated or not, you don’t belong here.” “You need to leave."
Kiran nodded; her heart sank. “I understand. I’ll go."
Her movements stiff, reluctant, she stood. Her foot caught on the edge of the coffee table as she stepped toward the door, and she stumbled forward. Instinctively, Jason moved to catch her arm before she could fall.
Their eyes met for a moment, and something unsaid was exchanged.
He said, his voice softer than before, “Be careful.”
"Thank you," Kiran whispered, her cheeks going a deep red, and pulled away.
She paused only long enough to glance back at him before reaching the door. Jason’s expression was back to its usual stoicism, but there was a faint flicker of something else, something almost like concern.
The door clicked shut behind her, and then she was gone.
---
In the centre of the room, silently, Jason's brain played back the encounter. There was something about her story, but he couldn’t help but believe her when she spoke—and he couldn’t stand seeing the sadness in her eyes.
He walked over to the couch where she’d been sitting and saw a small object she’d left behind. The silver pendant was its surface worn smooth from years of use.
His thumb brushed over the engraved initials on the back, and Jason picked it up. But he couldn’t grasp why he had a strange sense of déjà vu at the edges of his memory.
His jaw tightened as he clenched the pendant in his hand. She wasn’t just some random stranger. Jason Barger didn’t believe in coincidences.
---
Her heart was pounding in her chest; she stepped into the elevator. Her hands shook as she tried to steady her breathing; she leaned against the wall.
It could’ve gone worse, she said to herself. The words felt empty.
The pendant.
Her stomach dropped as she realised it was gone; her hand shot to her neck.
“Oh no, no no,” she whispered, her throat closing off from panic.
But it was too late. She stepped out into the cold, unforgiving night; the doors opened.
The last piece of her father she had left was gone—the pendant.
With furrowed brows, Jason turned the pendant over and over in his hand, his mind racing with a million questions. Who was this mysterious woman who had suddenly entered his life? What secrets did she hold? He was certain of one thing though - this was only the beginning, not the end. There were still many unanswered mysteries waiting to be unraveled, like an intricate puzzle begging to be solved. But as he gazed at the delicate pendant, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement at the unknown journey that lay ahead of him.
- Writer
