Shattered Light

-Aaron

The way Ivayla came rushing toward me sent a wave of panic crashing through me, her expression a mix of frustration and alarm. My stomach twisted as I tried to brace myself for whatever she was about to say.

"What is it, Iv?" I asked, doing my best to keep my voice steady, though the tension in the air was suffocating.

"Fucking Teresa gave us away!" she blurted out, throwing her hands in the air. "Apparently, she'd been eavesdropping on us and decided to run straight to Luka."

Well, fuck.

My heart sank. Of course, Teresa. Why wouldn't she? My mind raced, trying to piece together how much damage this could cause. What exactly had Teresa overheard, and why would she go straight to Luka?

I opened my mouth to reply, to ask for details, but before I could get a word out, another voice chimed in, cutting through the chaos.

"Teresa told Luka what? What is happening here?"

It was Ava. She stepped out of the shadows, her arms crossed as she stared at Ivayla, her expression a mix of suspicion and irritation. Her sudden presence made both of us freeze for a moment. I'd almost forgotten she was there in the middle of all this.

Ivayla turned to her, her face crumpling in exasperation. She groaned and slapped her forehead, muttering, "You're here too? I completely forgot."

Her words hung in the air, and the tension between the three of us thickened. My mind was spinning, trying to figure out what to say next, how to get ahead of whatever storm Teresa had just unleashed.

I ran a hand through my hair, the weight of the situation pressing heavily on me. My mind raced as I tried to find a way to keep this from spiraling further out of control. "Iv, go and help Korra keep Ryan out of Luka's way," I said quickly, locking eyes with her. "If he hears about this, he'll either land Luka in the hospital or himself in jail-or both."

Ivayla nodded without hesitation, her expression grim, and bolted out of the room, disappearing down the dim hallway. I barely had a second to process before I grabbed Ava's arm, tugging her out of the storage room. The cabin felt claustrophobic now, every shadow and sound making me jump. I had to find somewhere safe-somewhere Luka wouldn't think to look.

As we moved down the hall, Ava dug her shoes in and yanked her arm back. "Aaron, can you stop for a moment and explain all of this to me?" she demanded, her voice sharper and louder than I wanted it to be. I turned to face her, and the intensity in her gaze caught me off guard. "What's with Niko's sister and Luka? What do Niko and you know that I don't?"

Her voice carried through the empty hallway, echoing faintly, and I clenched my fists. If she kept this up, it'd only make it easier for Luka to find us-and that was the last thing we needed.

"Shut up, Ava," I snapped, my tone harsher than I intended, but I couldn't afford to be gentle. "Please, for once, just goddamn listen to me and stop being so stubborn!"

She flinched slightly, her expression shifting between anger and shock, but she didn't say anything. The silence that followed was tense, her shoulders stiff as she stared at me, waiting for an explanation.

I exhaled sharply, trying to calm my own frayed nerves. "I'll explain everything, but not here," I said more evenly, glancing over my shoulder. "We need to move before Luka catches on. You have to trust me on this, Ava. Please."

Her jaw tightened, but she didn't argue this time. Instead, she followed as I led her down the hallway, every step filled with the weight of what was left unsaid.

I led her up to the roof, the cool night air biting against our skin. It wasn't the safest place, but it was the only spot I could think of where we wouldn't be overheard. The stars stretched out above us, indifferent to the chaos below. I kept a firm but gentle grip on her arm as we stepped onto the flat surface, my hand resting lightly on her back to make sure she didn't slip or lose her balance.