15

Isaac's Warning

Nightmares again.

I had yet to try out Aerith's method of transporting my dream self into a realm of pleasant memories. By the time I laid down, I was barely left to my thoughts, taken over by sleep right away until consumed by nightmares. I could feel my insides heat up as I suffered through it.

In the nightmare, I found cyborg Isaac lying face up, the lights of his suit dim, and the life in his eyes gone. There was a bloodred sky, and screams.

I knelt beside him, shaking his shoulders while I was drenched in tears.

"Wake up!" I begged, his head tossing side to side while I shoved him. But as soon as I stopped, he laid there, frozen.

"Isaac!" I gasped.

Sephiroth showed up, his menacing aqua eyes glaring down on mine. A ferocious scream of a giant monster echoed across the expansion of the unknown land, a distant threat. My heart drummed hard as I panicked. Where was Cloud? He was supposed to protect me, wasn't he?

But again, just like the nightmare before.

Sephiroth stabbed me.

And then I would wake up, usually drenched in sweat. I gasped, sitting up in bed the instant I was stabbed in the belly. My hands quickly pulled back the white covers, and I saw nothing but a regular belly with no long sword poking through it. My skin was still intact, nothing but my scar below my bellybutton.

Breathing heavily, I swiped some sweat off my face and turned to Aerith's bed. In the dark, she was fast asleep, her body like a small white mound under her comforter, her breathing long and slow.

I wish she could take me into her dreams as I pictured her picking flowers or being back in her home in the slums.

Quietly as I could, my heart still running wild, I got up, my feet too numb to feel the tile floor. I slipped on a robe and sought refuge out on the porch to bathe in the night's cool air. It was dark as I settled my hands over the white stone edge, and got lost into the sky of stars. Costa De Sol had little light pollution, giving the chance of space to brighten the sleepy town with its beauty to behold.

My heart began to settle, and soon, the breathing followed, calming down.

A cold breeze blew my hair back into the room, and teasingly lifted the edge of my robe behind my legs.

The stars shimmered, millions of them, across a black sky. There were hints of an edge of the galaxy, a cluster of many far off stars appearing soft and hazy like a faded white ring.

Would I be able to see Earth from here? How far was it? Was this world and Earth in the same universe?

It was uncomfortable, thinking about the universe in the middle of the night. Usually, thoughts like that drifted to questions on existence and infinity, settling a queasy ache in my chest.

I brushed my hands across my face, wiping away more sweat, and let out a trembling sigh, trying to distract myself before I began to get anxious again.

Fearing the stars and the big questions, my eyes decided to drop to the beach and all its empty expansion.

No one was out. It must've been very late. All the other balconies were empty. Next door to Cloud's room, no light fell into his balcony, telling me his room was dark.

It felt like the whole world was asleep except for me.

Lounge chairs had been collected long ago, pulled back into storage for the night, leaving behind nothing but sand. Black waves crashed in whispers, subtle, with barely any white water under the lit up sky.

When I knew it was going to be impossible to fall back asleep, I decided to take a brief visit to the empty beach. With my keycard, I tiptoed out of the hotel room, making sure not to wake Aerith. The hallway was dim, a silent long stretch of nothing but white doors as I closed mine carefully. Across Cloud's door, I was extra cautious, taking long and silent strides next to it until I was almost to the end of the hall.

Two minutes later, I planted my rear in the sand, and faced the dark ocean. I let my bare feet fall into the wet sand, the cool water kissing my toes gently as I wrapped my arms around my bent knees. My eyes settled over the darkness, unable to decipher what was ocean and what was sky. There were many stars, though the sea was calm, reflecting them along the surface with gentle waves. I thought the sky was falling to earth, flooding the land and crashing towards my feet with lack of interest.

A warm breeze blew my loose hair away from my face, taking my cheeks like a soft hand coaxing me to relax.

But I couldn't relax.

My eyes did as they pleased, leaking out the overflow of the last few days. Finally, after the rarity of being alone, I let it all come out. It was just an easier way to fall into a reset. Okay, maybe I was a big cryer, but it didn't matter if no one was around to see it.

So I did.

Silently, I let my tears fall, tickling my cheeks and chin until so much collected, I had to use the sleeve of my robe multiple times to wipe it all away. I sniffed, unable to control the flow of all that I was processing. Each memory came as a tear, until a whole load of them kept coming.

Despite having Aerith to talk to.

And Cloud to protect me.

I felt lonely.

I tried to unravel the why, but came to the conclusion that I simply missed home. I missed my routines, my cellphone, binge-watching movies, having a job, having my work friends to talk to, and just the simple day-to-day things.

I missed walking through the crowded streets of New York, bypassing the many obvious tourists, the workaholics, the shoppers and dog-walkers. The bakeries, the hot dogs. Taking a bath whenever I wanted to. Using my hair and face products. Owning ten pairs of shoes. A soft bed. God damn pizza...

The loneliness only snuck in occasionally, reminding me on nights like these about the life I once had. It made me overthink, which often just left my feelings to fall into a domino effect until I wanted to cry in a fetal position and hide under a blanket. Like turning off a game system, I needed to recharge, start over.

It was one of those nights.

I'm the reason you're here

Like a ghost, Aerith's words haunted me since she told me her secret. She must've been very lonely, even more so than I was currently feeling when she decided to ask the planet for a friend. I couldn't even imagine the effort she had put in, praying every night before going to bed since she was a little girl.

Losing her mother. Not able to connect with anyone because of her powers.

In a way, Aerith went through what I was going through. Like falling to a different world, Aerith couldn't relate to anyone. She was different.

Maybe that's why I loved her so much.

I smiled a little just thinking about her, and the tears finally lessened.

And then a faint light caught my eye. It was barely there, a faded green haze like a lantern in a fog. It came closer, coming in towards me from the North end of the shore.

I gasped and shot up to stand when I recognized what the light was.

My hands grew sweaty when he walked stiffly towards me. He appeared like a tall shadow with glowing teal lines, a dark knight from the future, forever trapped inside his black armor.

"Hello, Aqua," Isaac whispered. The Mako glowed over his once brown irised eyes, telling me he was depressed, or internally tired. Despite that, I still felt the urge to run, and tensed, staring up at Isaac with alarm.

"Isaac, what are you doing here?" I asked, and instinctively gazed over my shoulder to see my porch only a short-distance behind us.

Isaac shook his head, a weak smile on his changed face. Something about him was different, both from what I felt and what I saw. His cheeks appeared scarred from burns, probably when Cloud threw that fire spell into his face during their battle. New metal armor hugged those cheeks, but the scars were still visible along the edges, almost up to his eyes. The more I saw Isaac, the less human he became. First his arm, and now his face. This world was eating him away, demanding more of his human parts until he eventually won't have anything human about him left.

I put my hand over my mouth to hide my dropped jaw when I noticed the extra work on his suit. The tiny catheters that flowed with Mako fluid, were finally protected by laser cut plates of black metal around his chest and arms. His shoulders were encased with dark metal pauldrons, protruding dark spikes.

There was no longer a large hole in his chest from Cloud's Buster sword. It was nothing but a glowing green slit where Mako flowed into. Like a beating heart, the green light pulsed into the tiny catheters, and the light disappeared under his armor. No more reactor on his back. It was moved to where the giant stab wound was.

Isaac noticed my reaction, and he gazed down to his chest, where his downfall had transformed into an upgrade for his core.

"Hojo and Scarlet took away my reactor and shrunk it enough to fit inside the damaged area. It's still in the works, but it will soon be covered up entirely. No weak spots," he explained, and smirked weakly.

It pulsed, glowing up our faces with its beauty. But I was still afraid, ready to run.

"I-I shouldn't be alone with you," I gasped, taking a few steps back.

Isaac didn't reach, but he crossed his arms and gazed out at the black expansion of the sea and sky a few feet from us.

"I'm not here for you. I'm just out, strolling. Rufus doesn't know I'm out here," he mumbled.

I paused.

"You couldn't sleep?"

"I don't," Isaac answered quickly, and eyed at me when my eyes grew. He chuckled half-heartedly and shook his head to himself.

"Yeah, I don't sleep. It's an odd feeling, not having the need to sleep. I keep thinking I'm going to go crazy, awaiting my dura matter in my brain to thin out until my brain tissue starts to degrade and build up on toxins, hence why mania happens with insomnia. If only I had this suit when I was in med school."

He shrugged his shoulders, trying to make a joke, but I didn't smile.

Whether I was to leave or not, Isaac didn't seem fazed by it, and he sat his metal legs down onto the sand to sit. I watched him carefully, how he settled his feet close to the edge of the coming waves, his heavy armored arms wrapped around his knees. He had his glowing eyes wander out to the darkness, lost in his thoughts.

I walked closer, and with a nervous sigh, I sat next to him.

If I could see under his suit, I could've sworn he swallowed nervously, his neck behind his armor like a permanent turtleneck. The waves came in, barely brushing up to the tips of his metal feet, no toes to tease.

I, too, let my toes rest over the wet sand, and welcomed the cold waves to kiss them.

"Aren't you supposed to be with Rufus?" I asked, leaning my cheek over my bent knees to watch Isaac's expression. His lips curved into a small smirk when he replied, "I'm not expected to watch him sleep, for Christ's sake. And Scarlet-" he stopped, almost possibly blurting his sex life, and made the right call to clam up.

I frowned, and almost thought I was dreaming, but then the water would touch at my feet with its sudden coolness, politely letting me know that this was real, and Isaac was still alive.

"How are you?" I asked, thinking about the battle he had with Cloud.

Isaac looked away, quiet.

"I don't want to talk about it," he protested so softly, I almost didn't hear him.

After that, I was silent for a while, unsure what else to say, until Isaac finally turned to me, and his eyes grew dimmer.

"I found out what Rufus wants from you…" He sharply turned his head away, almost repulsed by his next thought.

I sighed through my nose, exhausted, but knew falling back asleep would be unattainable at this point, and decided not to push aside the sudden overwhelming emotions that began to avalanche into my chest and belly. So, Isaac knew. I wasn't surprised, but curious as to what his thoughts were.

"It's appalling, isn't it?" I asked.

"It's revolting! What is this fucking place, like the 1910s mashed with the punk of the 80s, and with machines sucking the planet to death? I mean, what the fuck is this, Aqua?" Isaac twirled his troubled look to me, skeptical over this world as much as I was.

I shrugged.

"I know, this place is strange at times. Or maybe it's just Rufus. He's strange," I muttered, and then added, "I heard he hurt you," unsure what that really meant.

Isaac hissed, and his arms tightened around his knees a little more.

He turned away when he replied, "that's what happens when I fail him. It's just how it is. It's better than death" He left it at that, not wanting to talk more about it.

I then had a crazy thought, and sitting up straight, I blurted, "Come with us."

Isaac turned his head and eyed me carefully. He gave me a tiny smile.

"I don't think Cloud would appreciate that," he mused.

I sank my cheek back over my knees, my fingers fiddling together as they locked on around my ankles.

"I know," I dragged.

"I can't," Isaac finally answered, but he smiled anyway, and showed it to me.

He scooted a little closer, his metal shoulder barely grazing against mine, and he shook his head while his thoughts occupied him.

"Aqua, I…" he sighed, and licked his lips, grappling with the right words to use.

"I know I can't go back home but, I want to find a way, for you to go back."

This surprised me, and I lifted my head up, trying to search deeper into Isaac's eyes.

"For me? But Isaac, I…" I swallowed, this talk unsettling me. "I don't think I want to go back."

Our eyes met, his appearing troublesome.

"I know, but Aqua, this place is dangerous," Isaac put it bluntly. I kept quiet, sensing he had a lot more to say.

He did, and with a worry tone.

"I can't be there for you. I know, you have Cloud, but he's…" he paused, peeling his eyes away to stare out at the dark sea for answers. After a few seconds, he was given with one, and finished with, "he's got issues. I'm scared you'll be in real danger, and no one, not me, not Cloud, not anyone will save you. And I don't want that."

I held my breath.

"Isaac, I-I don't know what to say," I admitted, caught off guard by his shifting of conversation.

"I've had a lot of time to reflect since our time at Shinra's headquarters. I know I've hurt you, and I know you've chosen…" he grew quiet, and looked away, unable to finish.

I know you've chosen Cloud over me

I could only imagine how difficult it was for Isaac to even say that, but I already knew without having him finish.

He sniffed and rammed a metal hand over his eyes.

"Pushing frustrations aside, I still care about you. So, the least I can do is find a way to get you back home. It's for your own good. This world, it's too dangerous. More than you think. And despite having your new man and your friends, you are not fully safe until you are back in New York."

Now it was my turn to look away. Isaac had a good point, but I just didn't want to accept it.

"Our home is just as dangerous," I reasoned.

"No," Isaac was firm, and he twisted his suit around to look at me. His cold metal hand found my cheek, and I almost flinched away, expecting a slap. He saw my flash of fear, and decided to drift his fingers through my hair, cold and hard against my scalp with sharpened edges for nails.

"Not like this. This world…" Isaac swallowed, and pulled my face up to his. I recognized the hunger in his eyes, and immediately pressed my hands against his metal chest to lightly push away from him, not wanting to even go there.

I never wanted to go there again.

His hand fell from my head, and found my hand instead. I accepted it, and he squeezed tightly.

"Look, I've been around Shinra for a while now. I hear things. I know what's going on. You're still stuck in your girly fantasy phase, thinking your hero is always going to come save you while running around on some D&D adventure. But trust me, it's going to get ugly soon. If you know what's best, marry Rufus."

I shook my head to rattle what I've just heard, unsure if it was correct.

"What?" I squawked, ready to leave.

Isaac sensed this and gripped my wrists.

"Look, I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. I can't stand the idea of him or anyone marrying you, but Rufus has power, and security. He will keep you safe until I find a way to get you back home. And I will be close to you, to keep an eye on you."

Anger shook my bones, and I yanked my wrists away, dismayed over Isaac's ideas.

I rose, glaring down at him.

"You think I can't take care of myself, is that it?" I challenged.

Isaac stood up, his face crossed at my accusation.

"What? No! I want you safe," he pleaded, trying to get his point across, but I got offended.

"Aqua, you're alive because you have someone with you. And I am thankful, but I'm worried that when you lose him-"

"If!" I barked, interrupting him with a correction. If I lose Cloud, not when I lose him. Isaac heaved a long sigh from his chest, hating to be interrupted. He fumed silently, glaring down at me with glowing Mako eyes, and seemed to stop himself from bursting with rage.

He closed his eyes, hands on his hips.

"I could easily put you in a Sleep spell, and carry you to Rufus right now if I wanted to," he whispered, eyes open and bursting in Mako flames.

I crossed my arms.

"Well then, why don't you," I growled.

Isaac calmed, letting his hands fall to his sides limply.

"Because I know you don't want to, and Rufus doesn't know that this talk is happening. As long as he isn't here to tell me what to do to, you're off the hook. Besides, I…" Isaac's eyes withdrew from mine, and he kicked the sand.

"I don't really want you to marry him, either. I mean, I do, but I don't. For security and your safety, but I can't stand the idea of his hands on you, either. What a load of bullshit," he muttered, indecisive.

We both gazed at the water, and it suddenly reminded me of a dark place I didn't want to step into.

I shuddered, tightening my robe.

Isaac watched me.

"You should go back, before someone finds us together," he suggested, voice depressed.

"Why does it have to be this way, Isaac? Why do we have to be on different sides?" I blurted, sick of this dance we were in. Isaac turned fully to me, his gaze gentle, the real Isaac in there. He rammed a palm over his eyes, wiping away tears before I could see them, and shook his head.

"Then, marry Rufus and be on my side," he insisted. He extended his hand out to me, palm dim of aqua light. I watched the light pulse from his chest, where his artificial heart pumped the Mako up his shoulder as faded green lines until they disappeared under metal plates. Along his arm, light seeped along the edges of his armor, all the way into his palm, displaying a warm glow that made my face go almost white.

My eyes burned as Isaac waited for me to take his hand, and have me with him. We could be together, on the same side, and I would be given protection. Isaac could keep an eye on me. Rufus would make sure I would stay alive as long as I gave him the children that he wanted.

I couldn't believe I was really considering it, a part of me selfishly wanting to reach out and grab Isaac's hand with firm absolution.

But…

The bird in my chest pecked along my inner muscular walls, making me lose my breath as the pain increased.

Cloud instantly appeared in my thoughts, his soft words and pinky promise calling to me. I, then, could picture Aerith's eyes, begging me to stay, her small form bent in prayer as I left her alone.

Cloud is a complicated mess. Aerith acts like a child from losing her childhood so early in life. Barrett is blunt and curses a hell of a lot. Yuffie's a kleptomaniac. Tifa suppresses her anger and keeps her feelings inside. Red is just…well, non-human.

We were a little family with our own problems, and I enjoyed it.

I smiled shyly at the thought of my new family, and shook my head at Isaac, blinking back tears.

"I can't," I cracked, my hands up to my chest.

Isaac dropped his hand, frowning, and then steered the disappointment from his eyes, down to our feet.

"Do you really love him that much?" he whispered, letting the wind blow back his brown bangs.

I stayed quiet, pushing my hands deeper into my chest until it hurt.

"Does he even love you?" He added coldly.

Again, I said nothing, avoiding his gaze.

Isaac scoffed.

"You're smarter than this, Aqua. I never thought you were the smitten type. You're cautious, not a fool."

"I know…"

"What if he doesn't even feel the same way?"

"I… I don't care!" I said strongly, and meant it. And then I sighed, calming down before I got too heated.

"I don't care," I repeated, softer.

Isaac watched me carefully as I continued to keep my eyes off his, becoming chilled and ready to leave, but before I did, I clutched my hands to my heart.

"Please, Isaac. Don't hurt Cloud again. You owe him that much for sparring your life. Please, if not for that, then do it for me?" I mentioned, begging him.

Isaac's eyes flashed brightly, and his suit threw out its red glow along the edges of his metal armor.

"I can't guarantee that. If Rufus-"

I stomped my foot in the sand.

"Who the fuck cares about Rufus," I rattled with hate.

Isaac sucked in a long and deep breath, fighting the urge to explode in my face as he gripped my shoulders and dug a hard look down into my eyes with growing instability.

He sounded heartless when he replied, "If it means I get to live, then I do."

I froze, broken by his answer.

Isaac's grip kept me from running away, his chest almost to my nose. I'd forgotten how tall he was, a trait I used to gush about back in our earlier days.

It felt our conversation done, and I tried to turn away to leave, but he gripped me hard as he gasped, "Wait! I need to know something before you go."

I could practically hear him tremble in his inhale. Still not meeting his eyes, I clasped my hands and snuggled them between our chests to keep us apart. I didn't want too much of Isaac touching me. It made me uncomfortable in ways I couldn't describe. Wanting and not wanting at the same time. My body, familiar with his touch, yearned more of it. But I had to shut it down, knowing all too well that it would be a mistake. Not because of Cloud, but for me. I wouldn't forgive myself if I were to sink into Isaac's arms and getting lost in his kiss, our bodies blending easily from old habits returning. The old warmth, a pleasurable escape I used to take for granted, beckoned me, but it didn't amaze me to find it easy to ignore.

Isaac's hands tightened a little more, and he finally asked me what had been nagging him.

"If we hadn't fallen in this world, would you have still married me?"

Finally, I looked up at him, and found pain in those enhanced eyes. Eyes that used to be normal and just brown. Isaac gave me an uneasy smile as I struggled, too distracted by how red his eyes looked around the edges.

I took a deep breath, and whispered as I closed mine, "Yes. But…"

His fingers dug into my shoulders.

I pictured our future life, what I thought it would've looked like if we hadn't fallen into this strange world. I would still be working to finish my Residency, and then become a Senior Resident while Isaac applied for his fellowship. It probably would've been the same for a while, like we hadn't gotten married in the first place, except there was that reminder I would wake up to every day. A reminder of what I will eventually have to do.

Be a mother.

When we were engaged, the doomed and gloom countdown began, following me like a distant shadow, whispering to me everyday I woke up with my engagement ring on my finger, "someday."

And then my life would be over.

I wouldn't be able to stay as the career woman anymore, but shackled to our home, taking care of an infant I didn't want, losing my life while Isaac glorified in his, unaffected by the demands of parenthood.

Falling into this world and meeting Cloud, saved me. I was such a coward for how drastic of a measure it took for me to finally be free, when I should've just taken care of it a long time ago.

My hands hid my eyes when I felt them sting, and I trembled.

"I'm so sorry I never told you," I whimpered. Isaac completely thrown off, found his voice stuck in his throat.

"Wha-!

"I never wanted kids," I confessed.

He paused, mouth open.

"I couldn't tell you, and I was so afraid. I thought I could do it. But now, I'm so glad I fell into this world because if I didn't, I would've stupidly gone along with it, torturing myself, just because it's what you wanted. It was expected."

My throat closed up, words no longer literate, and I kept shaking my head. The deep guilt I've buried for months, finally revealed itself. The shadow that followed me around since I said "yes" to Isaac's proposal, lifted, hissing at me when I finally kicked it out of its home from inside me. I was so ashamed, I crumbled, falling on my knees in the sand like a defective woman.

"Aqua!"

Isaac stood on his knees and held me, letting me sob against him as my hands caught my tears.

"I had no idea," he whispered, his arms tight around my shoulders. "I'm so sorry you felt that way. And what's worst, you felt you couldn't even tell me, keeping it all in by yourself like that." He leaned his cheek over my head, sighing.

I wished Isaac holding me would feel more human. I wished he wasn't cold, with arms like cold pipes and fingers feeling like long and sharp AA batteries down my back.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered over and over, letting me cry for as long as I needed while rocking us back and forth in the sand.

Time became lost. By the time I was left with sniffles, a faint color began to appear across the ocean, a haze of coming light that gave an idea that morning was approaching. Maybe I'd fallen asleep because before I knew it, I felt someone shake my shoulder.

"Aqua," Isaac whispered.

I opened my eyes, and rubbed away old tears and goop from them. My throat cracked as I groaned, my rear aching from sitting in the sand for too long, and blinked out at a faint orange light protruding from the dark horizon.

"I need to go," Isaac whispered, urging me to wake up faster than I wanted to.

I sniffed, my face dry and eyes still trying to blink away irritation from falling asleep crying. I suddenly didn't want to go, afraid not to see Isaac again. It surprised me that he stayed. Revealing to him my long and dark secret, I'd expected him to leave with resentment. But when I looked up at him, he just smiled sadly at me, brushing sand away from my cheek.

"I should return before Rufus finds out I'm here with you," he told me, ready to leave.

I nodded, licking my dry lips and patting sand away from my hotel robe. I couldn't believe I fell asleep, and to my relief, without nightmares.

But I was still bothered, unable to leave without asking Isaac, "I just want to know how you felt after what I said to you." I needed to know, just to leave knowing that there were hardly any dark secrets left, nothing but perhaps a new beginning. No more shadows, no more guilt and no more lies.

Isaac kept staring into my eyes easily, and he gave me a raw smile.

"I feel glad that you told me," and just like that, I suddenly felt lighter.

The cool morning breeze almost lifted me up, but it fluttered my hair and robe instead. I was stuck in Isaac's eyes, mesmerized by how much they glimmered as an understanding we, possibly never achieved before, had finally established between us. This is what I wanted, and I didn't even know it till I felt it, the strange euphoria of discovering someone had finally put all the pieces together that made me who I was.

The deep ache returned in Isaac's eyes, and his smile dropped.

"Now, please go," he begged, his voice throbbing.

I took a few steps backwards, taking a mental picture of him before twirling around to leave. Isaac lifted his hand to make a low effort wave, and let it limp at his side as he watched me go. I wanted to turn around, but knew if I did, it would be that much harder to leave. Each time we departed, I kept asking myself if this was the last time, tempting to look back at him just in case. But this time, I kept going.

I smiled tiredly to myself, still rubbing at my eyes and cheeks. One last glance at the ocean, I stood there, letting my feet sink into the wet sand as the waves wrapped around my ankles. The edge of my robe got caught, and I collected a ball of it into my hands to lift it up.

The hint of day was approaching, an orange haze growing more vibrant until the wind urged me to turn around and leave.

My feet collected dry sand as I trekked back towards my room, and sucked in a sharp breath.

I released my robe to have one hand smacked on my chest to halt me, and then I gazed up with alarm to find Cloud slipping into his room from his balcony. He had just slammed his door shut, his sword upon his back dull and huge behind the glass, before he disappeared into his room.

Did he see me? How long was he out on his porch?

I could hardly breathe when anxiety boomed in my chest. Already, I was imagining future arguments with the complicated man. But then I shook my head, throwing fists down.

I did nothing wrong.

But just in case, I tiptoed back to my room's door, my card already out. I pictured Cloud waiting for me in the hall, tapping his feet with his arms crossed, and demanding an explanation as to why I was with the enemy like that.

But instead, I found the hallway empty, the same as it was when I left. I slipped into my room quietly, and closed the door without letting its lock click. Instantly, I stared at a sleeping Aerith, still nothing but a white lump in her bed. She groaned a little, shifting under her covers.

There was no point for me to fall asleep, even if I wanted to cling to my bed desperately, unsure when I would get a queen bed to myself again. I decided to slip into the bathroom to take a long morning bath, and let my body aches melt away in the hot water. It was going to be awhile before given the opportunity to take another hot bath.

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