Chapter 9- Broken Trust

The ceiling groaned under a heavy impact, but the unconscious boy didn't even flinch. All the tenants stayed pressed against the wall. Their faces were pale, and they were scared of the boy tied to the treadmill with an elastic band Alira had found in the gym.

The child tugged on Tenma’s hand. “Why are we tying him up?” He asked, his small eyes wide with confusion. Tenma opened his mouth, but nothing came out. How could he explain to a child that the boy who had saved him from his mother might have become the very monster they were trying to survive from? Tenma closed his mouth and watched Ayaru carefully. Noting the slow rise and fall of his chest, his head tipping onto his chest- a position where his neck would hurt-, his hair falling over his face, covering it from the side. Tenma shoved the guilt buried in his chest. Ayaru had called him his friend and trusted him, and yet he was here having him tied up like a monster.

Are they doing the right thing?

Amicia stopped in front of Ayaru, a frown on her face but a sadness in her eyes that was visible to everyone around her. She crouched to his eye level, placed her hand on his forehead to check his temperature, then dropped her hand back to her side.

Mr. Lu stepped up and pointed accusingly at him, “Why the hell are we still keeping him alive? We should kill him before he tries to eat us all alive.” His face was red from anger and possibly something else. Amicia scoffed but didn’t answer him just crossed her arms across her chest, holding Mr.Lu’s unsteady gaze, who turned his eyes away moments later, clicking his tongue against his teeth in anger. Amicia walked away to the back of the gym room, where the sole window was, and looked out of it. The sun caught her pink hair, making it glow eternally.

A sudden low groan escaped from Ayaru, bringing everyone’s attention to him as they waited for him to wake up; his posture slowly became straight, and he tilted his head up, opening his gold eyes slowly. Which no longer had the wrong brightness in them. He pulled his arms lightly, then a flash of alarm crossed his face, and he turned his head around and tugged his restrained arms.

He huffed out loud and met Tenma’s eyes. Not a hint of anger, just confusion and betrayal mixed in together. His voice was soft and quiet as he asked him, “Why?”

Tenma turned his head away, not meeting his eyes. Ayaru’s eyes shook as he stared at Tenma. “Why?!” He yelled out loud, and Tenma flinched from the volume of his voice. Ayaru shoved whatever emotion was playing on his face. He narrowed his eyes. “Whose idea was this?”

Amicia sighed out loud and walked towards Ayaru, stopping in front of him with a smile on her face. “Surprise, Aru!” Ayaru’s eyes held her with shock and relief. His eyes filled with tears as he smiled back at her, “Mi-Mi, you’re alive. I thought you were dead. I’m so glad you’re alive.” He cried out with a smile filled with relief.

Alira narrowed her eyes on him, taking in how he seemed more human than all the patients who were infected. That he still had a sense of guilt after everything else. Ayaru kept crying, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Mi-Mi.”

No one dared breathe around them, too scared of whatever kept the monster at bay. Amicia cupped his face. “Yeah, I know. It’s okay.” Ayaru leaned into her touch; she brushed a tear from his cheek, her next words breaking the soft moment around them: “What’s your real name, Ayaru?” Ayaru’s smile slowly dropped from his face, betrayal flashing on his face. “You’re here to kill me?”

Amica looked away, biting her lip hard, then she stood up, putting her arms across her chest. “Nefeli wants your real name, Ayaru.” The coldness surrounding her as she looked down at Ayaru with eyes of indifference. Ayaru’s eyes shook, then he sighed out loud, turning away from her face. “She wants my real name?” He turned his angry gaze back at her. “And what about you? Do you actually want it?”

“You know I can’t go against her orders.”

“Of course, you can’t! You’re all her lap dogs!” Ayaru yelled out, and Amicia struck his face. His head snapped back to the side, his innocent eyes wide as he felt the sting course through him as everyone held their breath around him, watching with wide eyes at the scene before them. It wasn’t the sting that hurt him the most. It was the betrayal he felt from the very person he had tried to save a long time ago.

Ayaru spat the blood onto her shoe from where he had bitten his lip. “I swear, Mi-Mi, I will kill you. I’ll kill you and everyone else. You know I don’t play around with names.”

He leaned back, smiling back at her with the blood from his lip smearing on his white teeth. “Fine. I’ll become the very monster you want me to become. I know how to cause actual destruction.”