40 So Close to Midnight

My instincts took over and I tried to slam the door on his face. He simply lifted his arm effortlessly and stopped the door from moving. 

"Don't run away from me again," he rasped. 

I saw hints of red drops drip from the sides of his mouth, accumulating on his chin then falling to the floor under us.

Splat!

I looked down at the blood in shock. 

I tried to push the door further but his hold was too strong, it didn't even move an inch. 

"I-I'm sorry…" I tried to say but he shook his head.

"Why did you run away?" 

He stepped closer and I walked back as he closed the door behind him and walked further, sending me backward until my back hit the wall. Grabbing the chance, he pinned me on the wall, his hard rushed breaths falling on my face.

It even smelled like blood. 

I closed my eyes in disgust and turned away. He laughed, "Why, you find me revolting? This is who I am, Ashe. This is what your father made me."

He grabbed my chin and pulled it closer to him. It hurt, where he held me and I whimpered in pain. "Look at me."

I was about to tell him to let go when he spoke again. 

"I saw what you did back there with Romeo. I kept silent because there were other things at hand, but I saw it all, Ashe. What are you planning," he curled his lips in anger, "you wretch?"

I had never seen him like this before. Not even when the Survival Mode was off. So he wasn't bluffing. He actually knew. 

I'm doomed.

A drop of blood fell on my overall, bleeding into it and coloring it red. I closed my eyes and took in a breath. If I didn't give in now, he might suck the life out of me. Literally. It might not hurt, but he had the power to kill me with his skill. Something I wished I had. 

Dad. It's all Dad's fault. He didn't have to go as far as to providing an option to use their in-game skills in real life. Somebody outside this mansion had access to the system remotely and that dumbass had switched it on, whoever that was. 

"How did you come back alive?" I asked instead. 

He pressed my wrists harder. "Answer my question."

I flinched in pain. Saye, it's a given. But I never expected Adrien to treat me like this too. Maybe he never liked me. All those thoughts I had back in the forest was all in my head. I wanted to cry. Why did everyone treat me this way? What's wrong with me? 

"You would never believe me if I told you," I said, trying my best not to let tears form. My heart was aching. Really bad. I felt a panic attack coming up, climbing up my throat, crawling inside my skin and threatening to crush whatever made me up. 

I keep making mistakes.

…..

Darren looked up at Elma and smiled at her in defeat, "I keep making mistakes don't I?" 

Elma shook her head, "This isn't your fault. Someone has our company under their eyes. And they are even going as far as to create public terror to bring us down. I'm pretty sure it's not Evertech. They are affected by the recession these days. It wouldn't be wise for them to plan something like this."

"Yeah. You're right," Darren admitted and placed Evertech aside, "What do we do now?"

Elma sighed and looked at the blank TV screen too, "Our profit will be affected only slightly. That means, whoever is planning this, isn't going to stop here. There's going to be more. We need to increase security for you, Mr Hermann."

Darren frowned and shook his head frantically, "Don't you see? It's not me that's in danger! It's everyone else! Think of it like a game of chess. No one takes out the King first, right? First the pawns, then the castles and only after the opening becomes wider, do they attack the King."

Elma raised her eyebrows, "So what you mean to say is...if the pawns don't die, you won't die to."

Darren nodded but Elma shook her head, "But there is a problem here, don't you think?"

"And what is that?"

She sighed and took her glasses to wipe of the dirt before she put it back on, "If the pawns protect the King…who's left to protect the pawns?" 

.....

Adrien lifted his finger and touched the spot on my shoulder where the blood fell. "I'll believe anything you say, Ashe."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

He flashed a crooked smile, "So just say it. What are we?"

I wanted to tell him the truth. I really did. But the words failed to form in my mouth. I ended up mumbling random words instead. I can't say it. No. It will ruin everything. Adrien saw my hands tremble and caught one of them with his other hand.

Slowly, he fit his slender fingers into the spaces between mine and laced it together, a strange warmth filling my body with the sarcastic touch. 

"I thought you trusted me. I wanted to trust you too. But now you're making it hard." 

Don't hate me Adrien. Please don't. Fiona probably hates me now. Not probably. Definitely. Darren will hate me when he finds out about this mistake of mine. Saye always hated me.

Don't hate me Adrien. It'll really break me. 

He sighed and let me go and I could finally breathe again. 

"So you're not going to say it," he looked the other way and shrugged before turning back to me, "Then you're invisible to me until you do. Forget what I said before. I don't see you as a friend anymore."

My eyes widened at those words. And I felt myself screaming on the inside. No…please. Not now.

Adrien walked up the stairs, hands in his pockets, his face sullen and cold. Exactly like the face he had when his Survival Mode was off. I thought I'd be happy with the Survival Mode Adrien. But I ended up making both versions of him the same. 

I grit my teeth and groaned with the ache in my heart. On top of that, the burden of another failure fell on top of me.

The plan Saye and I made. I doubt it would work now. Not after what just happened.

I wonder how Saye would react to this.

My legs gave in and I slide down the wall and dropped to the floor, hugging my knees. 

"Darren," I whispered to myself, my voice starting to break just like the rest of me, "I hope you're trying too. I have a feeling I'll fail this mission."

…..

TIME: [10:58 PM]

Lucas shut down the main computer and stood up to crack his neck and stretch his arms. His eyes flitted over to the watch on his hand and saw the time.

A smile flashed on his face and he ran out of the Locked Room, past the Printing department and the Accountancy 1 section towards the HR office.

He swung the door open to see only three employees left in the office, Rose being the one in the front. She was drowned in paperwork, but her face was as pretty as ever. Lucas saw drops of sweat form at the front of her shirt, making it slightly transparent.

He fought back the need to giggle to himself. 

"Psst."

She didn't look up.

"Psst!" Lucas called again and the woman looked up in surprise. Her mouth curled up into a smile when she saw him. "I have work to do," she mouthed silently.

Lucas pouted and pointed to his watch. 

She sighed and locked a gaze with him. After 5 seconds of deep thought, she closed the cap of her pen and stood up, sending fireworks shooting up inside Lucas.

He moved away from the door so she could walk past. 

Once they both were out, Rose looked up at him with her mesmerizing blue eyes, "So, what are we doing tonight?" 

…

A/N: SO CLOSE! we were so close to 100 power stones in a week. But we were 6 stones short of 100 (cry cry cry), so no mass release (cry cry cry). We can do this, and once we do, I'll uphold my promise! So vote and comment please!

I'm so lonely, let me know you're there~