A/N: I know I usually alternate between Akari's and Chase's POV, but I had to narrate for Akari in this one!
The wind howled through the jagged peaks as Akari clung to the sides of the mining cart. Beside her, sweat dripped down Luke's face. His knuckles were white from gripping the makeshift handles. She almost didn't recognize him. The clattering of the wheels echoed in the canyon.
Akari's heart raced. The narrow track stretched out in front of them. The mining cart swayed, and its pull threatened to dump them into the ocean below. Yet, there was no turning back.
How is this happening? she thought. She could never get rid of Owen no matter how hard she tried. His jealousy towards Chase, his attempt to pit Kathy against her, embarrassing her in front of the village, and now threatening to end his own life. When would it all end? Why did he hate her so much?
And yet here she was, racing against time in order to rescue him.
The air grew thinner as they ascended. She glanced at Luke, whose jaw was clenched in determination.
Taking the mining cart to the Garmon Mine District was risky, but they didn't have a choice. The other route would've taken too long. Despite Bo's promise to fix it a while ago, the wobbly tracks and loose, rusty wheels of the cart remained untouched, as no one bothered to venture into that part of Castanet.
As they neared the summit, Akari's breath caught in her throat. The metal wheels screeched against the tracks.
"Owen!" Luke's voice cut through the biting wind. "Hold on, buddy! We're coming!"
The mining cart jerked and shuddered. Akari closed her eyes. She couldn't bear to think of what would happen if they failed.
As the cart reached the summit, she opened her eyes again. Owen stood at the edge, his large silhouette a haunting figure against the setting sun. The world seemed to freeze as they locked eyes.
"Owen, don't!" Akari cried.
The mining cart screeched to a halt, and Luke and Akari stumbled out, their legs unsteady from the adrenaline. Fear clawed at Akari's chest as she sprinted towards Owen. Luke trailed at her heels. Owen turned to the sound of her voice. His eyes were bloodshot and glossy, and his shoulders heaved with each sharp breath. The district was eerily quiet. Akari could hear water dripping from the inside the cave which stood a couple of feet away.
"Why do you care?" He asked. His eyes met hers for a fleeting moment before returning to the thrashing ocean below.
"Because I care about you," she said. Akari edged closer, the crunch of gravel beneath her feet amplified by the quietness.
Owen's shoulders tensed. The wind tousled his disheveled hair. "No, you don't. You're with Chase now. You don't need me."
Luke frowned and glanced at Akari. He stood at a distance watching the scene unfold. He had no idea what Owen was talking about.
She paused and considered her next words carefully. She knew if she said the wrong thing, she'd regret it forever. "Chase is just a friend," she said. "And even if we were, somehow, together...that doesn't mean I want you to die."
He turned to her, eyes blinking rapidly. "Akari, please," he pleaded. "I can't live without you. I'll...I'll end it all if you don't come back to me."
Akari's stomach lurched from the weight of his words. A gust of wind swept through the darkening landscape, and she felt a chill crawl down her spine. Owen's eyes, once desperate and vulnerable, now held a manipulative glint. His look was all too familiar.
"Hey..." Luke began, but Akari interrupted.
"Owen, please, you need help," she urged.
He stepped closer. His breath reeked of alcohol. She felt herself beginning to shrink.
"I mean it, Akari. You're the only reason I'm alive. Without you, there's no point in any of this."
Akari fought back tears as she wrestled with the guilt welling up within her. Her resolve, fragile as sand slipping through her fingers, began to crumble, much like it had so many times before. Instinctively, she scanned the surroundings for Kathy, Selena, Chase—anyone who could talk some sense into her. Yet, she had left them at the reception, bewildered and stunned, abandoned when Luke whisked her away from the church. A dark thought entered her mind:
What if he just jumped? Then I'd be free.
A lump formed in her throat and she couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Luke stood awkwardly, shifting on his feet, unsure how to help.
"I can't force myself to be with you, Owen," she said. She felt a surge of confidence as she imagined what her friends would say to her. She knew what he was doing, and she refused to be coerced by him. Not this time. "It's not healthy for either of us."
Owen's eyes flickered with a mix of anger and disbelief. "I stopped drinking for you and you broke up with me with a damn letter!"
"And you accused me of cheating on you and humiliated me in front of my friend! You would've hit me if I was alone, wouldn't you?"
Silence.
"Wouldn't you?"
Owen bowed his head, a solitary tear falling to the rocky ground below. The tension hung thick in the air. Finally, he spoke. "I'm sorry, Akari."
She nodded. "I know. And that's not enough. Not anymore."
Fueled by a newfound strength, Akari stood straighter and held his gaze. She was done being a victim. She had finally faced him, standing firm against his suicide threat wielded as a weapon. The old Akari would've gave in. The old Akari was gone. .
"Whatever you're going through, you need to do it without me."
As Owen hesitated on the precipice, she experienced a surge of pride. She had broken free from the shackles of his control. She felt invigorated by the power of her own defiance.
And yet, she couldn't shake the deep sadness. It was over. Truly over. The wall between them was insurmountable and impenetrable. Exhaustion fell over her, and she just wanted to collapse into a heap.
Luke approached Owen, giving his arm a reassuring squeeze. He steered him away from the edge towards the safety of the cave. Passing by, he caught Akari's gaze. In that moment, she glimpsed a profound sadness in his eyes— a facet of Luke she hoped to never see again for a long time. In the distance, she heard approaching footsteps. She spun around, eyes widening with relief as Kathy, Selena, and Chase sprinted toward her. One additional figure emerged, slightly lagging behind the rest: Ramsey.
Kathy hurried to Akari. Her hands gripped her shoulders. "What happened? Are you alright?"
Akari shook her head, finally letting the tears flow now that Owen had left. "It's over.""
""What are you talking about?"
"He-he said he would...kill himself if I didn't take him back. And I didn't."
Kathy's arms fell to her sides. She struggled to find words. "He...?" She choked.
Akari sniffed and pointed to the cave entrance. Selena had bypassed them and appeared to be engaged in a heated conversation with Luke as Owen stood nearby, expressionless and unmoving. Relief washed over Kathy's face as she pulled her friend into a warm embrace. As Akari rested her head on her shoulder, she met Chase's eyes. Nothing much shocked or perturbed Chase. But this time the concern on his face was palpable. She wondered what he was thinking. She never really knew.
Moments later, Ramsey caught up with the group. He gasped for breath as he wheezed out, "W-where is he?"
Akari again pointed towards the cave. The bags under Ramsey's eyes were heavy with exhaustion. "I'm sorry," he said to her. He hobbled over to join Selena, Luke, and Owen.
Akari couldn't believe how much she didn't know about Owen. The mix of disgust and sympathy inside her was overwhelming. How could he treat her so horribly, then say he couldn't live without her? She was torn between wanting to understand his pain and wanting him out of her life for good. Now that everyone on Castanet would soon know what happened, she dreaded the inevitable pity and judgment. She could avoid him, but not the constant reminders. Maybe it was time to leave it all behind and start fresh.
As her thoughts began to spiral, Kathy gently pulled back from their embrace. "Let's go home."
Akari continued to watch the scene unfold by the cave. Ramsey and Luke held each of Owen's arms and led him slowly to the shop. She saw Selena exhale deeply and then begin to approach the trio.
"Akari?"
Kathy's gentle but probing voice refocused her attention. "No," she said. "I'm fine. I need to tell Gill that I'll be ready to leave in the morning for the trip."
Kathy took a step back in surprise and Chase let out an unsure laugh. "You're joking, right?" He asked. "Forget it. I'll go."
Akari shook her head. "No, I'm still going. Neither of you have to go. I'm fine."
Kathy frowned. "Akari, your ex just tried to kill himself."
She shrugged. "So what? Life goes on."
An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. The last thing she wanted was Chase or Kathy treating her like she was fragile. Going home would only make things worse.
"The badass, tough girl act doesn't suit you," Chase said.
She snapped at him. "And your miserable, inconsiderate know-it-all jackass act doesn't suit you either, but that doesn't stop you, does it? Leave me alone!"
He looked surprised but held his ground. "Just curious how long you plan on keeping this up. It's got to be exhausting, pretending to be so tough."
She glared at him. "You don't know a damn thing about me, Chase!"
"I know enough to see you're not fooling anyone."
"I don't need to fool anyone. I said I'm fine."
He smirked. "Oh, well, now I'm convinced."
Selena had joined them by now, casting a sideways glance at Kathy, who raised a finger to her lips and whispered, "This needs to happen."
Akari blinked back tears and bit her lip. She could have ended the conversation, could have just walked away—but the anger boiling inside her wouldn't let her. "Why do you even care?" she snapped again, her voice breaking. "You're probably just waiting for me to fall apart so you can say, 'I told you so.' Well, go ahead! Say it!"
Chase sighed, looking away, his expression conflicted. He took a deep breath before speaking. "Maybe... maybe I'm not good at showing it, but I do care about you, Akari. More than I should."
Selena rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "It's about damn time." Kathy nudged her, hiding a small smile.
Akari froze and her tough facade momentarily slipped away as she took in Chase's words. There was a moment of silence between them, the weight of Chase's confession hanging heavy in the air.
'I-" she began.
Before she could respond, Luke dashed out of the Blacksmith's alone and rejoined the others. He put his arm around Selena's waist and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "That was intense. I'm sorry, Akari. I kind of regret asking you to come. Are you okay?"
She rubbed her face and nodded. She had barely begun to process the whole ordeal with Owen, now this thing with Chase, not to mention the impending trip with Gill. Chase was right. She wasn't fine. Not even a little bit. She glanced at him, but he seemed checked out and a little embarrassed, his eyes darting around the district looking at nothing in particular.
"Not really, but it's okay, Luke. You were scared. I get it."
"What is Ramsey going to do?" Selena asked.
Luke shrugged. "He mentioned something about leaving the island and getting him help from the outside."
Kathy nodded. "Good. There's probably nothing we can do to help him at this point."
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm going back to the wedding," Luke said, full of nervous energy. "I can't really deal with this kind of stuff, you know. I got to shake it off."
Selena gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'll go with you." She turned to the others. "What about you guys?"
Part of Akari wanted to go back to the reception party, to lose herself in the music and the laughter, if only for a few hours. But another part of her—the part that was still reeling from the shock of what happened—wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and shut out the world. Plus, everyone had seen how she and Luke frantically tore out of the church. What if they asked questions? And she felt kind of guilty for spoiling Julius and Candace's special day, Still, sitting at home would resolve nothing, and she needed to speak to Gill about the details of the trip, even if it was against her friends' better judgment. She was more determined than ever to find out the truth. There had to be a reason why Owen was wracked with so much anger and guilt.
"I'm fine with whatever Akari wants to do," Kathy said.
For once, Kathy didn't speak on Akari's behalf about what she thought was best for her. It was a refreshing change; one she hadn't even recognized was ever a problem until then.
"I'm going, too," Akari said. "Will you come with me?" She gestured toward Kathy and Chase.
"Sure," Kathy said.
But Chase seemed hesitant. Akari had never seen him look so unsure of himself "I'll meet you there, but there's something I need to take care of."
She nodded. As he trekked down the path toward her farmland, she realized they had much more in common than she thought.