Chapter 63: forgotten memory

Inside the room, Rose and Lucian clung to each other, both trembling in the quiet desperation that only those who have stared down a nightmare understand. Lucian, though younger, held onto her with surprising strength, his small arms wrapped tightly around her waist, his face buried against her. She felt his heartbeat hammering wildly, mirroring her own fear.They were just kids a boy of 13 and a girl of 15 thrown into a world where adults with cold hearts and colder guns decided their fates.

Rose tried to muster every ounce of bravery she could, whispering to Lucian, "It's going to be okay, Lucy. They probably just want money from Mother. We'll be out of here soon." Her voice wavered, and despite her efforts to sound confident, her own fear laced every word. She tried to act as the older sibling, the one in control, the one who could make things better, but the terror was relentless.

Lucian nodded, lifting his gaze to meet hers, his eyes filled with worry but also an attempt at courage that broke her heart. "Yeah, we'll be okay. I'm here," he said, his voice small yet filled with a fierce protectiveness, one that wasn't typical for someone so young.

He hugged her tighter, pressing his cheek against her, almost as if he were trying to shield her from the terrifying reality around them.

Just then, the door creaked open, and the warmth of their embrace was shattered by a wave of icy dread. Two men entered, one of them tall and shadowed, carrying a gun that glinted ominously in the dim room. The sight of it sent a shiver down Rose's spine. Her heart pounded louder, and she felt Lucian's grip tighten around her, his own body shaking slightly. He was brave, but he was still a kid.

And no amount of courage could drown out the fear that surged within both of them.

The man with the gun smirked, looking at them with a disdain that cut through the silence like a blade. He lifted his gun, pointing it with unsettling casualness at Rose, and spoke, "Alright, you two. Enough goodbyes. Let's get this over with."

Rose's breath hitched, her eyes wide as she took in his words, terror pooling in her chest. She tried to stay composed, but the grip of fear was unrelenting. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but no words came.

Then, the second man stepped forward, a hand raised to stop him. "Hold on," he said, his voice cold and unfeeling. "We only need one of them gone. Leave the other alive."

The man with the gun shrugged, an indifferent sneer twisting his mouth. "Which one, then? The boy or the girl?"

The second man didn't hesitate, barely sparing Rose a glance as he replied, "The girl. Boys are more valuable in families like theirs. Killing him would bring too many consequences. Just get rid of her."

Rose's heart plummeted, her entire being trembling. She felt her mind reel, barely comprehending what she was hearing. Her life, her worth, reduced to a casual calculation in their twisted logic. She wasn't as important, wasn't "needed." She was just… disposable. The words hit her harder than the gun ever could, a pain that lanced through her more deeply than fear.

She felt anger too, a spark of defiance flickering somewhere within the terror.

Was that all she was to them? Just a girl, a daughter with no worth compared to her brother? The men's cold, dismissive words twisted like knives in her heart. Her body shook, her mind a whirlwind of fear and anger, and yet she held onto Lucian, who still clung to her, his small hands digging into her back as if he could somehow hold her to this world.

"No… this can't be happening…" she thought, her mind racing as tears blurred her vision. Her lip trembled, and despite her efforts, a small, choked sob escaped her lips. She tried to quiet herself, but the tears wouldn't stop, each one a release of the fear she could no longer contain. She looked at the man pointing the gun, seeing only cold eyes and an emotionless expression.

The reality of what was about to happen settled into her heart, chilling her to her core.

Lucian's hold on her tightened even further. "No!" he shouted, his voice small but filled with raw emotion, as if somehow, with just his voice, he could change the course of their fate. His voice broke, the desperation pouring out of him. "You can't! Don't touch her! Take me instead!"

The man with the gun laughed bitterly, amused by Lucian's attempts. He waved the gun in front of Lucian as if taunting him, ignoring the boy's pleas. "Oh, you kids think you're so special. In this world, nobody cares how brave you are or how much you mean to each other."

Rose, seeing her little brother's attempts to protect her, felt a surge of love and sorrow so intense it almost took her breath away. She had to stay strong for him, if not for herself. Holding her brother, feeling the tremor in his hands, she whispered, her voice breaking, "It's okay, Lucy… it's okay. Just close your eyes. It'll be over soon."

She couldn't bring herself to look at the gunman, couldn't bear to face the person who would take her away from her brother.

"You two really think you care about each other, don't you?" he asked, tilting his head with a mocking grin. He pointed the gun straight at Rose's chest, his finger hovering over the trigger. "Let's see how deep that loyalty really goes."

Without a moment's hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

The deafening sound of the gunshot shattered the silence, sending a shockwave through Rose's entire body. Her instincts took over, and before she knew it, her grip on Lucian's hand had loosened. She took an instinctive step back, her hand flying to her mouth in horror as her entire body trembled. It was a reaction born of fear-fear that overtook everything else in that split second.

Her heart pounded as she tried to register what had happened. She hadn't felt any pain. She glanced around and realized, with immense relief, that the bullet hadn't hit her. Instead, it had buried itself in the wall behind her, leaving a dark, ominous mark. She released a shaky breath, feeling the warmth of her brother's hand slipping away as she processed the terrifying near-miss.

Lucian, too, was frozen. He looked down at his empty hand, the space where Rose's fingers had been a second before. He looked up at her, his eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and a hurt that went beyond words. The unspoken question in his eyes-Why did you let go?-cut deeper than any words could have.

The gunman laughed, his gaze dancing between the siblings. "See? You kids talk big about love and loyalty, but when it comes down to it... you're just like everyone else. Self-preservation wins every time."

Rose's heart twisted painfully at his words. She wanted to protest, to tell Lucian that it wasn't what he thought, that her reaction had been involuntary. But the shame was there, raw and undeniable. She had let go. When faced with the threat, her first instinct had been to step back, to protect herself rather than her brother.

She glanced at Lucian, the pain a eyes like a punch appointment in his chest.

The gunman continued, his voice dripping with contempt. "And you, boy," he sneered, gesturing at Lucian. "If you really cared, you would have thrown yourself in front of her. Or does she mean so little to you?"

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Lucian's face drained of color. He looked at Rose, and the guilt washed over him like a tidal wave. He had wanted to be brave, to protect her, but in that crucial moment, he hadn't moved. His own fear had paralyzed him, and now, he was left with the bitter taste of regret. He'd disappointed her, and more painfully, he'd disappointed himself.

Rose looked down, unable to meet Lucian's eyes, shame clawing at her insides. The gunman's words replayed in her mind, cruel and cutting. She had failed her little brother, failed in the one promise she had made-to protect him. Tears pricked her eyes as she tried to suppress them, but they fell anyway, silent reminders of her own weakness. S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"See, kids," the man sneered, his voice a mockery of sympathy. "In this world, everyone is selfish. That love, that bond you think you have? It's meaningless. When faced with danger, you're all just looking out for yourselves."

Rose's body trembled with the weight of his words. She wanted to deny them, to tell him he was wrong, but the truth stared her in the face, undeniable and brutal. She'd let go. She'd let her fear take over, and she had let him down.

Lucian's hand twitched, still hovering as though expecting hers to return to it. The distance between them felt like a chasm, one that she feared she could never bridge again. The silent hurt in his eyes was more painful than any bullet, a wound that she didn't know how to heal.

The man in black behind them stepped forward, growing impatient. "Enough with the games," he said, his voice laced with annoyance. "Let's finish this. Say your goodbyes if you want, but we're done here."

The words hung in the air like a death sentence. Rose felt the cold reality of it settle over her, and the weight of her choices pressed down on her like a physical force. She turned to Lucian, her lips trembling as she tried to find the words. She wanted to apologize, to tell him she was sorry, but the words wouldn't come.

Lucian, his voice barely above a whisper, finally spoke, his tone laced with quiet resignation. "It's... okay, Rose. I understand." His words were meant to be comforting, but they only deepened the wound in her heart. He was trying to forgive her, but the pain was still there, raw and unhealed.

As the men in black closed in around them, Rose felt a surge of desperation. She knew, deep down, that she had failed him, and there was nothing she could do to change it. All she could do was hold onto the memory of his hand in hers, a fragile connection that had been broken, and hope that somehow, someday, she could make it right.

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sighhh finally completed it was so fking hard for me...i was so busy ahhhhhh

but can't put leave or ill won't get anything ahhhh

happy diwali guys