Chapter 7: Packing Shadows
Aria moved around her small apartment with a strange kind of numb determination. The rain from last night still clung to the windows, streaks running down the glass like tears, but inside, she was busy packing the few things she could carry. Clothes folded into a battered duffel bag, notebooks stacked carefully, the sketchbook tucked away like a secret. Every item was a piece of the life she was leaving behind — her normal, cracked and fragile as it was.
Selene sat silently in the living room, arms crossed, watching without saying a word. Her green eyes flicked occasionally toward Aria, but she didn't speak. She'd learned patience during her two years preparing for this moment — the rebirth, the awakening, the storm coming — and yet, every time she looked at Aria, she felt like she was facing something new. This Aria was different, fragile but fierce, tangled up in secrets neither of them fully understood yet.
Selene thought about the cat. Piper. The way Aria fussed over the little black furball, her soft voice coaxing her out from under the bed, the careful way she placed her into the travel pet carrier. Selene smiled quietly to herself, a ghost of a smile that didn't reach her eyes. In another life — her past life — Aria hadn't had a cat. So much had changed. So much that Selene couldn't tell Aria, couldn't risk it. She kept it all inside, the memories, the pain, the knowledge of what might come.
When Aria zipped up the duffel bag and adjusted the straps on her backpack, Selene stood and stretched, her silver - blonde hair catching the soft light. "Ready?" she asked.
Aria nodded, her eyes tired but resolute.
Together, they stepped out into the chill morning air. The city was waking up in fits and starts — the hum of distant traffic, the occasional shout, the scrape of construction somewhere far off. The rain had stopped, leaving the streets slick and shining like glass.
As they reached the cracked sidewalk, a familiar figure appeared — Dominic. He wasn't alone. A girl walked beside him, holding his arm like she belonged there.
Aria's breath hitched. That was… one of her close friends "Naomi", the one she'd always trusted, the one who'd smiled at her with something secret behind her eyes. Now, seeing them together, the pieces clicked into place — the quiet jealousy, the half - hidden resentment she'd never noticed before.
Dominic caught sight of Aria and smiled, but there was something guarded in his eyes.
"Hey, Aria," he said, his voice easy. "Thought you might be heading out."
Aria forced a small smile, careful to keep her voice steady. "Yeah, just… getting some things."
The girl tightened her grip on Dominic's arm, shooting Aria a glance that was sharp and calculating. Aria felt the old sting of betrayal bubble up but kept it locked down.
Dominic bent down and reached out, picking up Piper, who blinked sleepily but didn't struggle.
"Looks like Piper's coming with me," he said, grinning like he was sharing some secret victory.
Aria blinked, surprise flaring inside her. She hadn't expected that.
The girl smiled smugly. "I always liked cats," she said lightly, as if that explained everything.
Aria's hands clenched, but she said nothing.
Selene's gaze narrowed. She hadn't expected this, either. In her memories, Dominic's betrayal was still a secret, a shadow waiting to reveal itself far in the future — after years of fighting and survival in a ruined world. But here it was, plain and raw, right now.
Aria swallowed the surprise, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "Take good care of her," she said softly.
Dominic shrugged, as if the cat was just a thing to be passed around. The girl looked at Aria again, eyes flashing with something dark and possessive.
Aria forced herself to turn away, ignoring the burning in her chest. She didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing her break.
Selene slipped an arm around Aria's shoulders, steady and cool.
"Let's get you out of here," Selene said quietly.
They walked away, leaving the cracked pavement and cold morning behind. The hotel Selene led her to was a few blocks away — a quiet, nondescript place, nothing like the chaos they'd left. Inside the room, the sterile white walls and muted colors offered a strange kind of refuge.
Aria sank onto the bed, the weight of everything crashing down on her all at once. The façade she'd held up cracked, and tears spilled freely, warm and bitter.
Selene sat nearby, tense but silent. She hated seeing Aria like this — hated the vulnerability, the raw pain. But she didn't reach out. Sometimes, the best thing was to just be there.
Hours passed in a haze of quiet sobs and ragged breaths. Finally, Aria wiped her eyes and looked up at Selene, her voice breaking as she tried to joke, "He's not worth the tears."
Selene's gaze was steady, almost fierce.
"No. He's not."
Aria let out a humorless laugh, her voice thick with tears. "I didn't even have my first kiss yet."
Selene, who had been quiet the entire time, watching her from across the bed with an unreadable expression, finally let a smile touch her lips. It was small, but real. That rare softness broke through her otherwise guarded face.
"Well…" Selene said, voice low, "we can fix that."
Before Aria could even process the words, Selene leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her lips.
It was brief — barely more than a brush — but it sent a jolt through Aria's entire body. Her breath caught, and for a second, all the sadness in her chest shifted into something else entirely. Her heart was pounding in a new way, unfamiliar and wild.
Selene drew back slightly, her voice teasing. "First kiss. Done."
Aria let out a small, watery whine and half - covered her face with her hand. "Not like that," she mumbled, her voice cracking again, this time with something closer to embarrassed amusement. "I meant… more than a peck."
Selene's eyes changed in that moment. The softness stayed, but something deeper flickered beneath it — something hungry, something she'd buried for two years. She had dreamed of this moment, imagined it a thousand times, but none of those dreams compared to the real thing: Aria, right in front of her, alive, warm, heartbreakingly beautiful even with tears streaking her cheeks.
"Okay," Selene murmured, her voice silky - smooth. "More than a peck."
She leaned in again, slower this time, and kissed Aria with the weight of two years behind it. It was deep, but unhurried — like she was savoring every second. Her lips moved with a kind of reverence, holding back just enough not to scare her. She was giving Aria room to explore, to meet her halfway if she wanted to. And Aria did.
Aria froze at first, caught off guard again by how soft and cool Selene's mouth felt — strange, but not unpleasant. It sent a chill through her, like kissing snow that somehow didn't sting. Her fingers twitched at Selene's sides, and slowly — almost shyly — she leaned in too. Her lips parted just enough for Selene to take the invitation.
Selene coaxed her gently, brushing her tongue along Aria's lower lip before giving it a soft nibble, testing her response. Aria gasped into the kiss, and that sound made something inside Selene melt completely. She deepened the kiss, tilting her head, her hand resting lightly against Aria's jaw, guiding her. She explored Aria's mouth slowly, letting her taste, letting her feel it, letting her learn her.
Aria kissed her back, unsure at first, then more confidently. She followed Selene's rhythm, caught in it like a tide pulling her under. Her breath came quicker, the space between them heating with every second. She was aware of every touch — Selene's lips, Selene's fingers, the way Selene's breath hitched just slightly every time she responded. It was too much and not enough at the same time.
When Selene finally pulled back, just enough to let them breathe, Aria's lips were parted, and she was visibly dazed. Her cheeks were burning, her breaths uneven, and she looked at Selene like she didn't know how to exist in her own body anymore.
Selene was still close, her eyes never leaving Aria's face. "You okay?" she asked, voice low, but steady.
Aria tried to answer, but her voice caught in her throat. She managed a breathless nod. "Yeah. I… think I am. That was… wow."
Selene leaned in again — testing her, gently pressing another kiss to her lips. She didn't push, didn't take more.
But Aria didn't pull away.
She kissed her back, slower this time, lingering. Her fingers slid up to rest against Selene's chest, and her lips moved softly, uncertainly, but deliberately. When Selene deepened the kiss again, Aria let her — opening her mouth with a quiet gasp she tried to muffle, only to let out a soft, breathy moan against Selene's mouth.
Selene stilled for a second, stunned, then smiled into the kiss. She kissed Aria harder just for a moment, then softened again, letting her feel everything — care, hunger, restraint, all at once.
When they finally broke apart again, Aria was flushed down to her throat. She touched her lips like they weren't hers anymore, eyes wide with something between embarrassment and stunned affection.
Selene exhaled slowly, brushing a stray tear from Aria's cheek. "You're beautiful when you're not trying to be brave."
Aria let out a choked laugh and dropped her face into Selene's shoulder. "Shut up."
Selene laughed softly and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close.
The storm outside had returned, tapping softly at the windows, but inside the room, everything had shifted. Aria wasn't just broken anymore. She was beginning to change, piece by piece — aching and unsure, but open.
Selene held her like she'd been waiting forever to do it again.
Because she had.