Chapter Eight: Bitter Betrayal
Aralyn sat on the cold, metal floor, her hands bound around a pole that chilled her back, keeping her upright. A thick, cotton cloth had been tied around her mouth and she was similarly bound at the ankles. Her captors had even gone so far as to encircle her neck with rope tied around the pole so she couldn't move her head without strangling herself.
She could not have identified where she was in the thick darkness, even if she could move her head to examine her situation. The crescent moon shone through a hole in the ceiling, lighting her surroundings just enough for her to see that she was in some ruined building. Further details were lost to her.
She didn't need to see, however, to feel the presence of the three men who had taken her.
Her memory of her capture was blurred, as if she were viewing it through murky water. It had all happened so fast. They hadn't been far from their destination; Marlene had been chattering innocently about something or another and Denzel had been keeping her from wandering too far. Aralyn had been the first to hear the quiet footsteps behind and in front of them.
"Run," Aralyn whispered. "Denzel, get Marlene out of here."
"What is it? What do you see?"
"Run. Go. If I don't come back, don't come for me."
"What's going on, Aralyn?" Marlene asked, frightened.
But the footsteps were closer. In desperation, Aralyn threw Denzel and Marlene to the side. "Run!" she ordered. Not a second later, the first shot had been fired.
Denzel looked back, terrified to leave her at the mercy of their attackers. "GO!" she screamed one final time, and they finally obeyed.
To her infinite relief, the men had not pursued the children. It was her they had wanted.
The silver haired trio had not spoken to her as of yet, preferring to keep at a distance. All showed a peculiar interest in her, as if she were some rare artifact or a specimen to be studied. They handled her with something close to confused reverence, and it frightened her.
Had he sent them?
The one with the long hair (she thought his name was Yazoo, though she wasn't sure) was in front of her, and if she squinted hard enough, she could barely make out his tall form in the shadows. He had not moved since the other two had tied her up. She couldn't see his eyes, but she could feel the intensity of his gaze nonetheless. Of the three, he had taken the most interest in her, watching her at all times from a safe distance.
The other two were behind her, speaking in hushed tones. Something was said, and the remnant closest to her finally raised his head, his silver hair gleaming in the moonlight. "What are you going to do with her, Kadaj?" His voice was calm, frighteningly so. Shivers ran up her spine, causing her to sit up straighter and press her back firmly against the pole.
"He said she should have died a long time ago." The voice was silky, as his brother's had been, and coldly disinterested. "He was going to finish her off himself, but…well," he chuckled darkly, frightening Aralyn more than the silence ever had, "it wasn't even worth his time."
Aralyn's eyes widened.
"So he asked you to help?" Yazoo asked, turning his haunting gaze back to Aralyn.
"Let's just say I'm performing an act of service."
Aralyn winced and drew in a sharp breath as cold metal brushed her cheek. "Hello, Aralyn," Kadaj said in a playful voice. "How are you today?"
Aralyn turned her head away. The ropes pressed against her neck, but she didn't care if she was losing a little breath if it meant that she could get any amount of distance between the two of them. Kadaj laughed at her apparent fear. "Have you been eavesdropping? That's not very nice…"
"Kadaj, I don't think—"
"Yazoo," Kadaj snapped, turning sharply to his brother. "Sephiroth wanted this. We're just helping him along. He's so busy with Mother's plan that he doesn't have time for pest control."
Aralyn clenched her eyes shut. He wanted this…? She started shaking, feeling tears rise to the surface. She started breathing deeper. She shouldn't cry. But though it had been several years, she couldn't deny the pain of this final betrayal.
Kadaj's hands swept under her eyes. "What's this? Tears? After all these years, you haven't come to expect this?" Mockingly, he brushed his thumbs over the trails left on her face. "Don't you worry now, we'll put you out of your misery soon enough."
The third remnant, the tallest one with the short hair, walked over, smirking in the darkness as he readied the weapon strapped to his forearm. "I want to play first."
Kadaj chuckled. "Sounds like fun, Loz." The youngest remnant retreated a ways, sweeping his arm toward her as he left. "Be my guest."