Section 37: The Remorseful Wolf

-Joel POV-

I blinked my eyes several times, my headache strikes again and the pain pulsating in my head. I wake up slowly from the bed, only to see Aria next to me. She's reading a superhero comic while sitting next to me. I exhaled in a deep breath, that seemed to surprise the girl.

"Joel, are you alright?" Aria asks worriedly.

"I think so" I groaned.

Her face is blurry, I couldn't identify the face she's currently making. I need my glasses now.

"Ah, let me help you with that," Aria added.

She reached the nightstand next to me to pick my glasses.

"Here it is" she handed it to me gently.

"Thanks" I responded short.

As I put on my glasses, my vision is now as clear as the day. Aria sits next to me with an indescribable expression on her face. She lowered her head, somewhat looking ashamed about something she did.

"I'm sorry for making you injured" she apologized sincerely.

I noticed her sincerity from the tone of her voice and the tremendous guilt I could feel from her stutters. I ruffled her hair to ease her tension, like a scared kitten she twitched when I touched her head gently.

"What are you talking about? I was the one who dived in there" I chuckled.

"But you're injured and I couldn't protect you" Aria spoke guiltily.

That's not true Aria, I was befuddled with guilt on how I rat you out to Adrian and accidentally involved ourselves in this camp. Therefore, it is my fault. If I didn't rat us out, we could live in peace in our old love hotel. The sound of a love hotel sounds wrong, but it is our best base so far. Never thought Aria would feel this guilty toward my injury, she looks pretty distant and cold.

"I'm not strong enough, so that's why we're in this situation" Aria punished herself again.

"As I said, it's not your fault Aria" I try to reassure the nervous Aria.

I look at her ruby eyes, scarlet, or I don't know what you call those shades of red in her eyes. Aria has suffered a lot to protect the indecisive me, so I should have returned the favor as well to protect her from the enemies. I'm worried about my parents and my younger sister, the thought of them dying in the middle of this chaos scared me.

I push Aria to her limits to protect my own insecurities. Even so, she's still protective of my well-being. Perhaps, I misjudged her a little bit. Although, her actions toward Ellis still made me curious as to why she did that. She's good at heart, but on that day she seems gone crazy or something. I wonder if I can ask her about her personal information now?

I'm not sure she'll like it, considering I snitch her out on Adrian that is.

"Aria, can I ask you something?" I asked her nervously.

"Go ahead" she replied with a small voice.

"Why aren't you worried about your parents?" I asked her while stuttering. "I mean I'm worried but you don't look too worried so I thought you're crazy or something".

Aria never looks scared, at least not in front of me. More than scared, she looks more vulgar and stern. She is an inflexible person to hang out with, that's for sure. At first, she looks pretty friendly and accepting, when in dire she turns all bossy and rude. I suppose that's how the real Aria Schneider is.

I grabbed her cold hands, she immediately skived my hand away gently from her hands.

"Hey, don't touch my hands" she scoffed.

She's still the same distant Aria as always.

"As for my parents, they live in another city so that's why I'm not worried" she replied monotonously.

"Where are they right now?" I inquired more.

"Omega City" she replied again in a monotonous tone as if she doesn't care.

"I see, you don't miss them?" I asked her again.

"Frankly, no" she lowered her gaze toward the floor tile, lost in her thoughts.

She doesn't seem to focus or even care about her parents' condition or whether they're alive. Maybe she believed that Omega City is a safe haven for now? It seems like the cyberterrorism attack occurs in Alpha City only. As for Omega City, we still have no news for that.

Alpha City is the capital city and the center of the world's global economic and technology trade. Everyone wants to be here because Alpha is the city of dreams and chances. In its glory, the Alpha City government would present its achievement every year. Like the same old politics, they also presented the vision and mission every year.

Now look at the current Alpha City, it's no longer alive and it's occupied with killer drones and horrible people. Being excluded from the outer world made it hard for us to hunt for wild animals. We're locked in this one large cage called Alpha City.

"I wonder how's mum and dad" I clenched the tip of my blanket. "My little sister too".

"You're worried about them?" Aria asked me.

"Yeah, it's been almost a week or so right? I can't even count days anymore" he sighed. "I can't turn on my cell phone cause my battery is dead".

Aria searched her sling bag and lent me her cell phone.

"You can borrow mine" she spoke out of nowhere.

"Thanks!" I smiled toward the cold gazed Aria.

After I asked about her parents, she turned silent and her eyes looked hollow. Did I ask something strange to her?

"Are you okay?" I nudged Aria.

"I'm fine" she forced a smile then continued to read her superhero comic.

She wanted to distract her mind from something. Perhaps, from her parents?

"So you are worried about the" I teased Aria about her parents.

"No" she replied coldly.

"No?".

"No" she confirms my word with a cold gaze.

She's giving this mysterious vibe, she holds some secrets I guess. There's nothing wrong with keeping secrets.

"If you really want to know about me, I'll tell you" Aria spoke nonchalantly while reading her comic.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I widened my eyes in confusion.

She closed her superhero comic and brazenly stared into my aquamarine eyes.

"I'll tell mine if you tell yours" she exclaimed bluntly. "No deal, no sharing".

She's one tricky woman, I can guess why she's too overwhelming and too serious for me to handle. On a side note, she's unlike any ordinary girl I ever encountered before. She's not feminine, she's brazen, rude, stern, and she has questionable moral issues.

However, her desire and inclination to protect me is real.

"Or am I reading too much?" I thought to myself shamelessly.

"So, what will it be?" Aria asked me, this time crossing her arms.

I steady my sitting posture as I prepare myself to answer her piercing serious gaze.

"Damn, her eyes are intimidating" I avoid her piercing gaze awkwardly.