Jake, please… don't do this to me. I… I won't be able to take this pain."Aurora's voice cracked, her sobs shattering the silence. She clutched at his lifeless hand as though her touch could bring him back.Angel stood beside her, trembling, tears streaming down her face. She looked at her friend like she was watching someone drowning, knowing she couldn't save her.
Maxwell stood a few steps away, hands clasped tightly behind his back. His usually sharp, controlled expression faltered tears brimmed at the corners of his eyes, but he fought them, swallowing the lump in his throat.
"Take… the body," he ordered the medics in a voice so deep and steady it almost masked the pain beneath it. Almost.Angel crouched to Aurora's level and wrapped her arms around her, holding her like she might fall apart."Aurora… please, try to calm down," Angel whispered shakily. "Talk to me. I'm right here. I know you loved him. I know this hurts more than anything—"
"But Jake…" Aurora's voice was hoarse, her chest heaving."I know, baby… I know," Angel murmured, tears soaking into Aurora's hair. They clung to each other, crying until their voices broke.Darkness finally claimed Aurora. Her body went limp in Angel's arms as the sobs gave way to a faint, suffocating silence.
Maxwell sat alone in his office that night, the air heavy with grief. He stared at the empty glass in his hand, though he hadn't taken a sip in hours.Jake. His best friend. His brother. His anchor. Gone.Through Jake, Maxwell had found a mother in Sadash. She, too, was gone. Now, it felt as though the earth beneath him had crumbled leaving only Angel, Aurora, and his father. A fragile, broken remnant of the family Jake had once given him.
Every memory of Jake came with a stabbing ache in his chest so sharp, it stole his breath.
"No…" His voice cracked as his fists clenched against the desk. "Nooooo!" The roar tore out of him like an animal's cry.
"Who the hell killed you?" His eyes blazed, jaw tightening until his teeth ached. "I swear on your life, Jake… I'll find them. And when I do…" His voice dropped to a whisper, low and dangerous. "…I'll make sure they rot in hell."
It was a vow. One he intended to keep.
Angel had fallen asleep on the couch in Aurora's room, her head tilted uncomfortably to the side. She awoke to the sound of soft, broken sobs.
Aurora sat up in bed, her face pale, eyes swollen. "Jake… Jake…" she called into the empty air, but there was no answer only the echo of his name in her mind.As reality clawed its way back into her thoughts, yesterday's events replayed in vivid, merciless detail. She buried her face in her hands and began to weep again.
Angel rushed to her side, pulling her into her arms."Bestie… I know," Angel whispered, her own voice thick. "Just let it out." Aurora's shoulders shook violently. "He left me, Angel. This time… he left for good. He's never coming back." Her voice cracked. "How can people be so cruel? Why did they have to kill him? Why?" She gasped between sobs, her breath coming fast and shallow. "I can't live without him… I can't… I just can't."
Angel held her tighter, as though she could keep her from shattering completely.
By the time Aurora's tears finally slowed, she realized she wasn't in her own home she was in her parents' mansion. Angel helped her to the washroom, gently bathing her, dressing her in black, and tying her hair back into a simple ponytail.Rose entered quietly. She crossed the room in a few quick steps and gathered her daughter into her arms."Stay strong, my child," she said softly, her voice trembling. "I know you loved him."
Aurora gave a faint nod. She let Angel guide her downstairs, her eyes flickering around the mansion. The walls seemed to whisper memories moments she had shared with Jake, laughter that would never echo here again.Angel nudged her gently."Can we get going now?" she asked quietly.Aurora only nodded.
Maxwell took full responsibility for his best friend's funeral. He kept his composure, though every second felt like a battle. He moved with precision, giving instructions, his face set in stone but beneath it, he was breaking.Aurora arrived with Angel and her family. She was silent, her eyes empty. She didn't cry, didn't speak just stared straight ahead, her hands folded in her lap.People whispered among themselves, worried. But Aurora barely noticed them.
They think I'm losing my mind, she thought. But they'll never understand. They'll never feel this hollow ache in my chest, the way my soul feels ripped apart. They don't know what it's like to wish for death just to make the pain stop.In that moment, she knew this agony would never leave her. She would carry it, like a wound that would never heal, for the rest of her life.