Chapter 84

Tristan's awakening was prompted by the voice of the young woman echoing through the room. Still immersed in the haze of sleep, he slowly returned to reality, and his eyes turned to Aurora, lying beside him. Her eyes were closed, immersed in restless slumber, her expressions reflecting internal anguish.

"No... please, don't shoot!" she screamed, terrified, her words breaking the boundaries between the nightmare and reality. Tears began to flow down her face as she cried. It was evident that she was trapped in a terrifying nightmare. "Adelaide..."

Tristan acted quickly, grabbing her shoulders and shaking them gently. "Aurora, wake up," he implored, his voice filled with urgency. "Come on, wake up. Aurora!"

She woke suddenly, her body tense, and her eyes filled with fear. Trembling and with trembling lips, she struggled to process the transition from the nightmare to reality. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks, silent witnesses to her torment.

"Calm down, it was just a nightmare," he tried to comfort her, pulling her into a protective embrace. She nestled into his arms, unable to articulate any words, her emotions overflowing in silent tears.

***

While Aurora sat amidst the celebration in the elegant banquet hall rented by Klaus, where applause and laughter filled the air to celebrate her best friends' wedding, her mind was still trapped in the remnants of the previous night's nightmare. It wasn't a new sensation; for years, she had been haunted by this same nightmare, and despite its familiarity, she had never grown accustomed to this terrible experience.

Her thoughts transported her back to the most traumatic night of her life, the night of the awards ceremony. Despite her efforts to push those memories away, intrusive flashes continued to haunt her. A sense of sadness and loneliness enveloped her, even though she was surrounded by friends who were now newlyweds. They approached, eager to share moments and conversations, but the inner void persisted, making it difficult to concentrate on what they were saying.

Her gaze met Tristan's, who was by the small bar, observing her with seriousness. The tension between them was palpable, an unspoken understanding, a desire for comprehension without words. But Aurora remained reluctant to discuss the issue that tormented her.

A subtle tension permeated the atmosphere when Frederick noticed the interaction between Aurora and Tristan. "They hooked up," he stated to Klaus, sensing the charged atmosphere between the two.

Klaus emphatically agreed. "Definitely, they hooked up."

Feeling the discomfort building around her, the young woman decided to escape the comments and quietly stood up from the table. Her steps were uncertain, her thoughts wandering aimlessly.

In the midst of her search for a moment of tranquility, a child's voice pierced through the fog. "Aunt Aurora!" The call made her stop, her eyes descending to meet a pair of large and curious eyes.

Her hand was surprised by a soft touch, a little hand that clasped hers. Her eyes lowered and met Christian's, blinking innocently. A gentle smile lit up Aurora's face. "Hello, sweetheart," she greeted with affection.

The call was followed by a rush, and an unfamiliar girl approached, crouching down beside little Xavier. "I told you not to wander off from me! Xavier might fire me!" Her voice was filled with a mix of tenderness and reprimand.

Aurora's brow furrowed slightly, curious about the situation. A question slipped from her lips, "Are you Xavier's girlfriend?"

The girl raised her head, noticing Aurora's presence. Their eyes met, and in a quick motion, she approached. "Me? Xavier's girlfriend?" She laughed as if the idea were amusing, but her laughter was restrained because of the little boy in front of her. She leaned in, speaking softly as if sharing a secret. "Between us, I wish!" A conspiratorial smile passed between the two. "Anyway, I'm Christian's babysitter! My name is Amelie!"

Aurora smiled warmly, feeling a pang of relief amidst the unexpected interaction. "Aurora. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Christian's childish voice cut through the air, interrupting the tension surrounding Amelie. "Auntie!" He tugged on the hem of her dress, pleading for a candy on the nearby table.

Amelie let out a resigned sigh. "Your mom will strangle me if I take you there now!"

A discreet throat clearing echoed next to her, indicating someone's arrival. Amelie quickly closed her mouth.

Genevieve, Christian's mother, intervened with a smile on her lips. "'Strangle' is too strong a term, Amelie." Her eyes turned to the little boy. "And Christian, you can't have sweets right now. The newlyweds haven't even cut the cake yet. Don't be impatient."

Christian's face filled with regret. "Sorry, Mom," he murmured, pouting sadly.

Genevieve instructed Amelie to take Christian to play with Ken, and she hurried to comply. "Yes, Miss Witch... I mean, Auntie! Right away!" A forced smile spread across her face as she walked away with the little one.

Genevieve turned her attention to Aurora, scrutinizing her carefully. A smile widened on her lips as Aurora felt uncomfortable. Aurora had exchanged sharp words with Genevieve in the past, and now her presence evoked a whirlwind of emotions.

"You look well," Genevieve observed, her voice filled with sincerity.

Aurora returned Genevieve's smile. "I could say the same about you."

Genevieve expressed her surprise. "When my sister told me she was living with you in New York, I could hardly believe it. People are truly unpredictable."

Aurora nodded, sharing the sentiment. Who would have imagined she'd share an apartment with Violet, let alone become friends?

The conversation took a more serious turn. "How are you? I mean, after what happened at the awards ceremony?"

Aurora felt the air escape from her lungs. The words almost got stuck in her throat. "I'm fine," she managed to respond eventually, though her voice betrayed the underlying tension.

Genevieve continued, touching a sensitive spot. "You must miss Adelaide and Kai a lot."

A sharp pain coursed through Aurora's chest. She avoided looking into Genevieve's eyes, an instinctive defense against the memories threatening to resurface.

"Please, can you excuse me?" Aurora stepped back abruptly, seeking a hasty exit.

She took refuge in the restroom, thankful to find the place empty. She leaned on the sink, her hands trembling as she tried to catch her breath.

It had barely been a minute when the door opened again.

"What's going on?" Tristan's voice sounded, full of concern.

Aurora lowered her head, her voice murmuring wearily. "You're the one who entered the wrong restroom..."

Her words didn't deter Tristan. He was determined to get answers.

"You've been acting strange since yesterday. What's happening with you?" He advanced toward her, waiting for an explanation she wasn't willing to give.

Their gazes met, and she retreated slightly, avoiding his look. The tension between them was palpable.

"Is this about your nightmare?" Tristan pressed, seeking a connection.

Aurora remained silent, unable to find words to express her agony.

"Aurora." Tristan approached, touching her hand on the sink. To his surprise, she moved away abruptly, creating distance between them.

She stammered, fear emanating from her. Tristan was bewildered, not understanding what was happening.

"Don't touch me!" Her words hit him like a punch, and he could see the fear in her eyes.

"What's gotten into you?" His confusion was evident, but he wouldn't let her escape this time.

Aurora finally burst out, her words coming out urgently. "I just want to be alone!" Anguish permeated her words, revealing deep torment.

Tristan let out a bitter laugh but didn't release her. "Is this always how you solve things, huh? By walking away."

The words struck Aurora hard, cutting deep. She froze, feeling the wound that his words had opened.

"You say you want to talk about yesterday, but nothing much happened," Aurora declared, her eyes seeking a reprieve from the recent tensions.

"So why are you avoiding it? Why are you running away all the time?" Tristan questioned, his voice heavy with concern. Aurora lowered her head, haunted by the memories of fear that plagued her. The sensation threatened to engulf her again, piece by piece, and she longed for relief.

"Stop! That's enough!" Aurora exploded, her eyes meeting Tristan's. "I don't want to talk about it anymore... I don't want to remember anything... I want to forget everything that happened yesterday!"

Tristan's expression hardened, a storm of emotions dancing in his eyes. "Everything?" he repeated, the words carrying an unknown weight. And when she confirmed it with a nod, he couldn't contain his own outburst of anger any longer. "Am I just a damn toy to you, Aurora?" His voice burst like thunder, echoing through the room. "Do you think I'm a kid who will always chase after you? Huh? Tell me!"

She longed to respond, but the words dissipated, stifled by a lump in her throat. Any observer would have thought Aurora was staring fixedly at Tristan's furious face, but in reality, she was trapped in an image that triggered in her mind.

She was back to that day, that traumatic moment. On the floor, the pain of the gunshot echoing in her mind, the terror that embraced her. And amidst it all, Tristan's figure, kneeling beside her, a rare glimpse of fear in his eyes. His voice whispering for her to stay conscious, to fight to stay alive. She had tried, struggled to keep her eyes open, to say something, but she was powerless, her words and strength draining away, leaving only the throbbing pain in her chest.

Just like in that moment, now she couldn't speak. The suffocating feeling enveloped her, the memory dragging her back to a place of agony.

Suddenly, her breathing became irregular, the air becoming scarce. Each breath was like a battle, and tears flowed uncontrollably. The same fear, the same anger, the same pain. Everything was coming back, crushing her like a powerful wave.

Tristan's eyes, once filled with fury, now reflected genuine concern. "Aurora," he called out, reaching out to touch her.

But she recoiled, an almost involuntary movement, stumbling backward until her back hit the wall. "No! Go away!" she shouted, her voice trembling.

Before he could even get close to her, someone entered the bathroom.

"Aurora!" Violet rushed toward the young woman and crouched in front of her, holding her face. "Hey, calm down, it's me... It's going to be okay... Breathe..."

Violet seemed to know exactly what she was doing. She knew the right way to handle Aurora's panic attack.

In a few minutes, Aurora calmed down, started breathing normally again, but she didn't have the courage to stand up or look at Tristan's face, so she hugged Violet and closed her eyes.

***

Days passed, and Klaus and Frederick's wedding was still a hot topic on social media. While the newlyweds enjoyed their honeymoon in Miami, Aurora genuinely felt joy for her friends. She harbored a secret, a panic attack in the bathroom, an emotion she wouldn't share with them during this celebratory time.

As for Tristan, silence had persisted since that fateful day. However, Aurora knew he was in contact with Violet. Once, she saw her through the kitchen door, talking to him on the phone. Her words revealed her attempts to support Aurora, her concerns, and her efforts to encourage her to seek professional help.

Aurora didn't hold any grudges against Violet. On the contrary, she preferred to ignore the situation, bury the emotions it brought.

But that night, while she was alone in her apartment, the doorbell rang. Aurora's heart raced as she opened the door and faced Tristan's familiar face.

"I came to see how you're doing," Tristan said straightforwardly, the weight of his words carrying meanings beyond the spoken syllables.

She made room, and he entered, his eyes briefly scanning every corner of the room before settling on hers.

"I talked to Violet," he confessed.

"I know," she responded in an equally low tone, crossing her arms protectively.

"Since when? How long has this been happening?" his voice was incisive, seeking direct answers.

She averted her gaze to the floor, aware that eye contact might betray her emotions. "I thought Violet had told you everything," she explained, it wasn't a matter of jealousy, but rather a desire to avoid reliving that anguish.

"I want to hear it from you," his demand forced her to face him, and the lump in her throat tightened even more.

"It started shortly after I left," the words escaped her lips as whispers, carrying with them the weight of her inner struggles.

"How often?" he inquired.

"It's irregular," Aurora admitted, stealing a fleeting glance at him. "I've been to a few sessions with a psychologist, but then I stopped..."

"Why?" His question hung in the air, an unspoken inquiry. She didn't answer, but her silence conveyed her truth. "Adelaide told me you would do this," the mention of his sister's name made her raise her head. "After what happened with Kai, she warned me that you would try to run away, just like with your parents... Aurora" - his words, tinged with understanding, cut through her voice. Her name was a reminder of her own pain, but also of the mutual understanding they shared.

"Stop," she pleaded when the agony began to intensify, her tears threatening to overflow.

"Who has to stop is you," his voice remained firm, but his eyes reflected shared vulnerability. "You do everything to forget, to run away. And it led you to abandon everything... to abandon me, without a single word. And to this day, you keep running. Look around you. You're not the only one who lost someone. You're not the only one suffering. Harry's parents, Violet, my brother..."

"Enough, please," she implored with a trembling voice, covering her ears with her hands, but Tristan's hands intercepted her pulsating emotions. He held her wrists, determined not to let her words go unnoticed.

"You can't keep going like this, you can't spend your life running away," the seriousness on his face echoed his genuine concern, his eyes mirroring the pain he himself endured. "People get tired... and I'm tired of always chasing after you."

He released her wrists, turned away, and headed for the door. Aurora squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to see him leave, mentally wishing he wouldn't go. However, she knew that no matter how much she wished, her desire wouldn't stop him from leaving. The only way to change the course of things was to confront her own barriers.

"Tristan!" she called out, her voice a plea. He turned, his eyes meeting hers, and before he could anticipate her reaction, Aurora wrapped her arms around his body, hiding her face against his chest and allowing herself to cry. "Stay," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

And in response, Tristan hugged her, holding her close in his arms as if he could protect her from everything that afflicted her.