Koruna

Catching up to the past again

Chapter 63
Catching up with the Past again

Koruna stared at Abriel wide-eyed and open mouthed, she tried to say a few words but ended up saying nothing. Her mind was in shock, it made no sense to her that Abriel would be alive and standing in front of her only that she wasn’t the Abriel she remembered. This one looked devoid of life, even when she smirked at Koruna; Koruna felt none of that excitement she did whenever Abriel was close. Koruna wouldn’t use the word defeated to describe her, it looked like Abriel had gone through things most people would but would never come out the other side alright.

Koruna wanted to go closer to her and at the same time, she wanted to stay far away from her. Abriel looked fragile and the way she stared at her made her feel that whatever that had happened in the years she was missing had not done anything to look at Koruna in a favorable light. Abriel was looking at her like she could kill her, Koruna felt chills go through her. She was the one that was betrayed and why was Abriel looking at her like she wronged her.

Abriel moved closer to Koruna with a tight grip on her cane, to others they looked like two people standing close together without a word being said but their eyes said very differently. Koruna wanted to know but she was wary of her. She remembered Jason and thought to herself that if Abriel had been here longer than Jason, she probably wasn’t the girl she knew once. She tried to say something, anything but nothing could come out of her lips.

“The almighty Koruna speechless, now that was something I never thought I would live to see happen.” Abriel said and laughed.

Koruna had the urge to cover her ears, her laughter that usually sounded full of mischief was empty, like a witch’s cackle from a fairy tale gone wrong. Koruna gazed at her in question, “What happened to you?”

Abriel raised her cane and tried to hit Koruna but Koruna held the cane half-way, R’ao had also unknowingly moved and in response both of them grunted out in pain.

Ms. Simi took note of R’ao’s reaction towards seeing Koruna in pain and her lips curved into a smile as ideas flooded her mind, she had finally seen what could make the Ark boy bend. Koruna glared at Abriel as she raised her cane towards her again, she blocked it and hissed as the zap went through her. R’ao growled and tried to move but Koruna stopped him, “I can handle it, don’t you dare move.”

“You would rather be in pain than allow me strike you, I barely have any strength left. Couldn’t you allow me hit you once? It will be better than being electrocuted from the inside out.” Abriel said full of mockery.

Koruna chuckled, “I have never allowed you to hit me on purpose, what makes you think I’ll start now.”

“Good to see that some things haven’t changed. You are still you except now an Elite with an Ark wrapped around her finger, you have struck gold Koruna… Your life has always been easy.” Abriel laughed again.

“Stop doing that.” The shock had reduced and Koruna could feel the wheels turning in her head, she knew that somehow this Abriel was different from the person she used to be. There was a lingering bitterness in the way she talked to Koruna. She didn’t understand why Abriel would hate her but she was going to find out somehow.

“Doing what?” Abriel whispered.

“Laughing, it doesn’t suit you. It sounds like a cackle really.”

Abriel frowned and shrieked as she attacked Koruna fiercely with her fist, this time Koruna did not stop her but allowed her to hit her as much as she could. Koruna glared at R’ao when he tried to move again, when Abriel seemed exhausted, her blows began to slow down.

“Okay, my turn.” Koruna growled and flipped her to the other side, her right fist came straight at Abriel’s face but stopped just before hitting her. Instead she pulled Abriel to her chest and hugged her tight, Abriel struggled to leave her arms but Koruna wouldn’t budge until she relaxed. Koruna was acutely aware of the zapping, she felt that her brain would soon get fried but somehow she wanted to be sure that she was holding on to Abriel.