[A/N: Chapter soundtrack: The Chainsmokers - Don't Let Me Down ft. Daya.]
***
As their little race continued, they neared a corridor piled with clutter.
Using the messy environment to his advantage, Aybel deliberately nudged a precarious stack of books with a brief kick.
He caused a chain reaction that led to a line of glass jars being knocked over.
Chrrrrrssssshhh! Plink-plink-plink!
With Aria's path now filled to the brim with shattered glass, he gained steam.
The sudden chain of events caught Aria off guard, but the smile never left her face.
"C'mon! Catch me already!!"
Quick witted, she took a sharp left turn into another passageway.
Hmm... Was there a corridor there? I was sure that would work. Suppressing a sigh, Aybel obliged to her command.
This game of tag was far from a race at this point, it was more like a game of chess.
***
Dashing through the hallway, Aria noticed a conveniently timed opening of the elevator doors nearby.
The apartment building they lived in was a popular residence for artists, with many photographers using the rooftop for their shoots.
For a week now, around this time, a group of young models would leave the roof, done with their photo session.
Aware of this, Aria scuttled through the glamour of perfume and skimpy outfits.
Heading to the roof, she swiftly pressed the button, causing the doors to close just as Aybel approached.
Seeing his wry smile, brought a smile of her own to her face.
"Hahahaha, way too slow~"
***
Ah, this brings back so many memories.
Thinking on his feet, Aybel had to admire her quick mind and how much she had grown up.
With that being said. Don't be so smug, Aria...
He still had a trick up his sleeve to take away her cocky smirk.
The building had a total of ten floors, and the elevator was located on the fourth floor.
With this in mind, Aybel raced to the seventh floor.
It was back in my second year of middle school that I first discovered the building had a maintenance closet on the seventh floor.
I was looking for somewhere to hide away when I played hide and seek with Aria.
The room seemed to fit the bill perfectly.
It's nice and quiet, has plenty of equipment for repairing pipes, plumbing, and yes; a ton of electrical wiring to mess around with.
Bursting in, Aybel quickly searched for the location of the switch for the elevator.
Just as the elevator reached the correct floor, he flipped the switch off, causing an electric outage that made sure the doors stayed shut, giving him a valuable window of opportunity.
Five minutes to be exact.
The power switch for the elevator was controlled by an automated system and would turn back on if it's ever switched off.
Let's see how you react to being outsmarted yet again.
Even with their safety measures, the elevator still has a weakness. And just like when we were little, Aria, I can always beat you in a game of wits...
All right, let's hurry to the roof.
He raced the remainder of the floors to the roof to meet her and catch her by surprise.
***
When Aria realized the elevator stopped and the doors wouldn't open, she bounced on her toes, clapping her hands together.
"So he really did one up me! Tch, I thought I had him..."
Then she sighed admitting her defeat. "I guess you win this round. It seems like you truly are smarter than me, brother."
"But then..." Slowly, Aria tilted her head to the side, placing a finger on her lips. "What if I'm really trapped in here now? What am i supposed to do?"
Unsure, she chewed on her bottom lip, pacing around in circles. "I-I know it's unreasonable but just what... what if I don't see him again?"
Aria's eyes widened at the thought.
The young girl had not considered the possibility that her brother had a trump card like this up his sleeve.
Feeling a rush of panic, she clenched her fists, banging on her reflection in the metal doors. "I can't stay here...! I can't..."
Taking a step back, her eyes darted all around the small enclosed space, searching for any way to get out.
"Hah..."
But she found none.
"Haaah..."
With a look of fright, she trembled, sinking to the floor in the corner of the elevator with knees drawn to her chest.
"A-Aybel... the power is out... please help me..."
But her pleas fell on deaf ears. Aria was terrified of being alone...
***
Now waiting on the roof, leaning on a wall, Aybel glanced down at his watch to check the time.
Any second now...
While the group of models had recently finished their photo session moments before, the scene on the roof was rather quiet...
A light wind ruffled his hair as he wiped the last bit of sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his white shirt.
He could feel the cool breeze against his sweat-dampened body.
In the distance, he spotted the occasional bird fluttering by.
The sky was painted a beautiful shade of red and purple as the sun set.
And for a moment, he allowed himself to be lost in the peacefulness of the evening.
Ping!
The elevator doors creaked open...
***
After a few seconds Aria worked up the courage to peek her head out.
"So you've decided to grace me with your presence."
A look of absolute relief crossed her face when she saw a familiar set of black and blonde hair.
She tackled him in a tight hug.
"Ahh...?" Startled, Aybel questioned: "What's all this about?"
"Be quiet."
A faint blush spread across her face as she buried her head in his chest.
The warm glow of the setting sun lit up her face in a beautiful way, as she breathed in his scent deeply. At last, she looked up.
The two held their gaze for a moment...
"You really like giving me a heart attack, don't you, brother~?" She laughed letting go, her mood seemingly back its normal self.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, someone seems to be quite embarrassed." He jested with a faint and tired smile, gently brushing her hair back out of her face.
"Haha..." She laughed dryly. "You're right, I wasn't expecting that..."
"That aside." He added.
"You're one to talk... giving me a heart attack with all of these dangerous antics. But alas, your plan has been foiled."
"Now, let's head back inside, shall we?"
He turned, but she didn't follow.
Looking back he saw she was suddenly standing on the edge of the roof...
The realization that this was not a game sunk in at that moment.
"...You... were really planning on jumping off the roof, weren't you?"
She stared into his eyes with a slightly crazed look in her's.
"I've put a lot of trust in you, Aybel, but sometimes I don't know... so I want to know for sure if I can rely on you."
"Aria."
"You said that you'll always have my best interests at heart. So now I'll test your words."
"Get off the ledge, right now."
"I'm willing to risk everything to find out if you're just a regular person who only cares about himself... or if I can genuinely trust you..."
"..."
"I'm going to fall off this roof... a-and I don't know what's going to happen next... can you catch me?"
With a reckless smile on her face, Aria spread her arms, closed her eyes and fell backwards.
Her figure disappeared from Aybel's vision.
However, ignoring her words centuries ago, Aybel had already hit the pavement, wondering how she got that far out.
Rushing to the edge of the roof, without blinking he dived after her.
Time held it's breath.
Beneath her, he saw a three story building.
As she fell towards the roof, she opened her eyes and looked up at Aybel, with hope...
'Where there's a will, there's a way.' He was a firm believer of this proverb.
In the air, his eyes darted around like a madman, looking for a way...
Then he sighted one - a maintenance ladder within arm's reach, fixed to the side of the building.
And a plan was formed in an instant:
1. Hold Aria.
2. Grab the ladder.
3. Don't fall.
4. Make sure Aria is safe.
5. Scold Aria.
For what seemed like an eternity in seconds, time suddenly resumed.
Like a lightning bolt, Aybel dived down...
Reaching out, his fingertips brushed against hers...
Pushing his limits, he grabbed her wrist, simultaneously wrapping his other arm around the ladder...
CLANG!
But it happened so fast...
The full impact of his sudden halt was too great for Aria's body.
And her hand slipped from his grasp...
NO.
He froze in absolute disbelief, speechless, unable to do anything...
She didn't say a word, but he could see it written on her face.
"Y-You liar... I trusted you..."
Her face turned white as the fear of death finally hit her.
Only as chills of shock ran down Aria's spine did the reality of the situation crash down on Aybel.
As he looked down, a coldness washed over him; he could hear the sound of her bones breaking under his feet.
Trembling like a child, eyes widened to it's fullest capacity, he took in every detail.
Her limbs were contorted in unnatural angles, surrounded by a pool of her own blood, as her gaze permanently fixed on him...
An image that Aybel had only ever witnessed in the most frightening of nightmares...
Yes. The silence that followed was deafening.
"..."
In a fit of mad panic, he let himself fall after her... to his own demise.
.
.
.
...Unthinkable...
Suddenly, as if ripped from this nightmarish reality, Aybel's finger twitched violently...
A ripple of awakening coursed through his veins...
To Be Continued...