Black Heart

Chapter eight: Shadows of Regret

Brain hesitated as he looked out the window of the truck, watching Ludachel's unconscious figure in the dark, torn between his loyalty to Rin and his duty to Ludachel. As he was about to reach for the door handle, Rin's desperate cry stopped him in his tracks as she latched onto him.

Her tear-streaked heart-shaped face and trembling voice betrayed the deep trauma she was experiencing in that moment.

"Brain, don't go out there! I can't lose you too!" Rin's voice quivered with fear and grief, her once defiant demeanour replaced by raw vulnerability that pierced through the death around them.

His heart aching for his friend and the weight of the situation bearing down on him, Brain turned back to Rin, his own eyes filled with unshed tears. "Rin, it's alright now, didn't you see what happened? Ludachel, he saved us. I need to check on him, make sure he's okay," he reassured her, his voice a soothing balm amidst her pleas.

The tension between them thickened. Rin's fear and uncertainty clouded by grief, "No Brain, don't risk it! We don't know what's out there. It could still be dangerous. It's probably all his fault this all happened; he could be dangerous..." her voice trailed off, a plea tinged with desperation.

In a fleeting moment of anguish and blame, Brain's anger spilled over, his words sharp and stinging. "Let me go! This isn't his fault! This is all your fault! Jax is gone because of you!" The accusation hung heavy in the air, leaving a bitter taste of regret and sorrow.
Stunned by his own accusation, Brain felt a surge of guilt and remorse wash over him. Panicking, he tried to explain, his voice shaking, "No, Rin, that's not... I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry, I'm just scared and hurting. Please, forgive me."

As Rin recoiled from his words and his touch, her expression a mix of pain and disbelief, Brain's heart clenched with the weight of his mistake. Regret flooded through him as he fumbled to find the right words to mend the fragile bond between them, a silent plea for understanding in his brown, reddened eyes.

Rin's voice cracked as she spoke, her words weighted with guilt and grief, "It's okay, Brain. I understand. It should have been me who died... not J-Jax."

Before Brain could reply, the loud grinding gears of gates 11 and 12 opening filled the air, signalling the soldiers' arrival. The survivors pressed against the gate were being captured, with soldiers brandishing guns and issuing threats, sending a wave of shock through Rin and Brain as they watched on, hoping to evade notice.

In that moment of uncertainty, Rin and Brain realised the situation before them. This attack had been deliberate, but the question lingered—why? How did they know about the Deathtems? It was as if the people in control of the city knew about the large scale attack and were now covering their tracks by targeting the last of the survivors.

"We need to get out of here! I think they're going to shoot any survivors!" Rin's voice carried a note of desperation, urging them to act quickly in the face of imminent danger.

"Okay, but we need to get Ludachel into the truck first," Brain insisted, reaching for the handle once more, only to be stopped by Rin's hand that grabbed the handle as she shot out of her seat and over to Brain, keeping the door shut.

"We have no time! They're already coming!" Rin's voice was tinged with fear as she spotted two army tanks approaching, their direction clear—towards Ludachel.

Realising the threat, Brain weighed his options. Rin's words rang true; their survival was paramount. With a mix of regret and resolve, he acknowledged Rin's assessment. Ludachel's fate was sealed, and he owed it to Jax to prioritise Rin's life and escape.
"I'm sorry, Ludachel," Brain whispered to himself, a solemn farewell to a stranger who had become a fleeting part of their lives.