Aiden didn't plan to speak to her.
He had followed her again — not out of duty, but something else. Something quieter. Something warm and terrifying at the same time.
Elena was sitting in the park this time, beneath the shade of a cherry blossom tree. A few children played around her, their laughter echoing under the afternoon sky. Her eyes sparkled, her smile brighter than the sun behind the clouds.
Aiden leaned against a wall nearby, watching.
"Why do I keep coming back…?"
"Why do I care if she laughs or cries…?"
The children ran off, and Elena opened a small book.
She hummed softly — a melody so simple, yet so soothing.
He didn't realize he had moved until he was standing closer.
She looked up.
Their eyes met.
And for the first time… she smiled at him.
"Hi," she said, her voice soft — like falling rain.
Aiden froze.
He wasn't ready. He hadn't spoken to anyone like this… not in years.
"Are you… waiting for someone?" she asked gently.
He shook his head. "No. Just… passing by."
She closed her book. "You've passed by here… three days in a row."
He blinked.
"You noticed?" he said, surprised.
She smiled again. "It's hard to miss someone who always stares at the sky like they're trying to remember something they lost."
That line hit him in a place he didn't know still existed.
"Maybe I am," he said, more to himself than to her.
They sat in silence for a moment. Not awkward. Not heavy. Just… still.
"I'm Elena," she finally said.
He hesitated. For a moment, he almost gave her a fake name — the one his handlers taught him to use.
But something inside him refused.
"Aiden."
Her voice was soft.
Her words were kind.
And for the first time, Aiden didn't feel like a weapon. He felt like… a boy.
They didn't talk much more that day.
But when he walked away, her name echoed in his mind louder than any command he had ever been given.
"Elena…"
---
End of Chapter 4
To be continued…