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Chapter 55 - Charlotte

The outside air felt like a curse.

Ariel and Charlotte were walking through a garden, no one around. Their efforts must have diverted to challenge their attackers. Even the gardeners were gone, the nature left to fend for itself.

The nature should have made Charlotte smile. It should have had her tracing her fingers over the petals of the various flowers surrounding her, or maybe the wooden tables that were housing pots and tools. Yet she couldn't do anything other than quietly cry, her hands shivering by her side.

Ariel was silent like her, the smell a mixture of flowers. She picked up on a hint of lily, but she wasn't sure what kind. There was a balcony on the side of the castle, and it jutted out at an angle that had Charlotte knitting her brows together. That could give them a huge vantage point if they could get up to it. Not to mention it was elegant and the only balcony Charlotte spotted. Did that mean a Council member was staying up there? Maybe they could at least find a clue on Madam's whereabouts.

Charlotte slowed, turning to Ariel. She had the Dumbo plush in her hands, her refusing to take her eyes off of it. "Ariel, look-"

"Shut up!" she said, pushing Charlotte back. "He's gone! He's fucking gone, the one person I trusted!" She was about to fall over, but Charlotte held her up. "I loved him."

Charlotte desired nothing more than to weep and mourn with Ariel. Jimin was her best friend, and to see him gone had her mind spinning. It hadn't hit yet. It hadn't hit that she'd never see Jimin again. Those nights where they stayed up together, watching the rain. Those nights where he'd have a panic attack, and she was there to comfort him. She would never have a night like that with him again.

Her lower lip trembled, but she found the strength to clear her throat. "We have to move before more come, they have to know we're out here by now," she said, Ariel whipping around to glare at her.

"You don't even care! I thought he was your best friend, but you don't care, do you? That's why you betrayed him!" She stared at Ariel with her wide, tear-filled eyes. Ariel stepped back, her wrath dissipating. "I'm... I'm sorry, I didn't mean that, I'm sorry."

Charlotte hugged her, and the girl hugged back with a sniffle that broke Charlotte's heart. "I don't know what to do."

"I don't either, but you're right. We need to keep moving."

And that they do. They part, walking down the concrete path that led through the garden. There were little water fountains around, Charlotte shuddering from the breeze flying by her skin. She went to rub her arms, then she saw Jimin's blood on her hands. It was engraved on her flesh, specs of it littering her body.

Her breathing picked up as she tried to wipe it off on her sides, scrubbing it with her bent nails. Her lungs closed in on themselves while she attempted to get the liquid off of her, but it was already dry. That was when the reality hit. The blood was no longer just on her hands. It filled her vision, clogged her tongue with the copper taste, flared up her nostrils with the putrid smell. Her vision fuzzed up, outlines of carmine waltzing through her brain until she bumped into Ariel.The girl didn't make any noises, Charlotte too dazed to apologize. Her best friend was gone. She'd never see his smile again, she'd never hear his dirty jokes again, she'd never see his protective side again. Seong Jimin was dead.

Ariel was the only thing keeping her focused, and even then, her body couldn't keep up with the realizations she was making. They stumbled their way through the main section of the garden, a strong wind coming and painting her with goosebumps. That was what made her stop and collect herself.

"What if we just laid here for a while?" Ariel asked.

"Ariel, we shouldn't."

"But what if we did?"

It was a terrible idea, but Charlotte sat on the ground, Ariel doing the same. They couldn't die. Jimin sacrificed himself to save Ariel, and he said he trusted Charlotte to take care of her. No matter what, Charlotte wouldn't let Ariel die. Never. However, after the life they've had, they deserved a minute to admire the scenery. To admire the garden that was filled to the brim with life-

'Tap'

Charlotte froze as she felt something soft touch the back of her hand. It covered the blood stains, making it seem as though they disappeared. There was a white petal on her, Charlotte bringing her other, shaking hand to it to pick it up. It was the petal of a white rose.

Another breeze came, Charlotte turning and seeing a batch of white roses on their left, the wind pulling off a couple petals and allowing them to fly in the air. They circled around, landing on Ariel and Charlotte. Both of them stood, going over to the roses and letting themselves smell them.

They took their time to pet the white roses, not exchanging a single word. The castle wasn't far from them, and Charlotte spotted an entrance up ahead. They had to get to that balcony and get a vantage point, maybe find a clue on where Madam could be. The High Council had more men, but Charlotte had stealth on her side.

For less than a minute, they focused on the flowers in front of them. Then, Charlotte backed up, keeping her gaze on them the entire time. Ariel followed, the duo wiping their tears and continuing down the path.

"Here's what's going to happen. For the cameras, we're going to act like you escaped from me. You'll attack me, take Jimin's bag, and run into a vent. From there, you'll go find Jericho and the others and tell them I'm going to that balcony," Charlotte said, pointing at it and handing the bag to the young girl, who threw it on her back.

"How? This place is a maze."

Charlotte motioned to the right side of the castle. "They couldn't have gotten far from their position outside. Go that way and try to find them. No matter what happens, we'll protect you."

"But I want Jimin to protect me," she said in a mumble, each word coming out strained.

"He did, okay? Because of him, both of us are alive. He saved both of us."

"He's all I wanted. Now all I have left is his blood on my clothes and a Dumbo plush. What do I... how do I react to that?"

"Ariel, I know this is hard, but-"

"We have to keep fucking moving," Ariel said. "Yeah, I got that."

"I was going to say we need to honor his memory." She went stiff at that. "He loved you very very much, you know that?" She didn't make any noises, Charlotte holding Ariel's shoulder. "Ariel, I knew him for years, and I'm not saying this to comfort you or some bullshit like that: he never smiled as brightly as he did around you. Never. Not once, even when we were dating."

Ariel's eyes expanded, her letting Charlotte's remarks wrap around her before deciding to go. She moved along, walking away from the garden. They went toward the castle, stepping inside and observing the hall they were in. It was much slimmer than Charlotte was expecting, but still just as grand. Ariel processed Charlotte's words as they strolled inside, the floors the same marble as the rest of the place, pillars poking out of the walls to hold up the ceiling that was over a dozen feet above them.

There were many vents around, which meant they had options. All Ariel had to do was use a knife to pry the covers off, which, based on how flimsy the metal looked, was a simple task.

"Do you think he's in a better place?" Ariel asked.

"No matter what, he's with Aria now. And to him, that's enough. He loved- no, he loves you. He always will."

Ariel accepted her words, eyeing the vents and preparing her attack. "You think this is a good idea?" Ariel asked, Charlotte shrugging. They were screwed, Charlotte knew that. If she somehow found Madam on her own without getting killed by security first, then she'd still end up getting killed by Madam. All she could hope for was Ariel's safety. In the vents, she'd be safe, and if they framed it like Ariel was escaping, then she'd be even safer. All that was left was executing the plan.

"I don't know, but we're about to find out."

~~~
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