Chapter 22: The Long Walk Back.

The forest wrapped around them like a shroud, the quiet hum of the night offering temporary peace as Ava and Talon walked side by side. Their escape from the Syndicate casino lingered in the air, but now, as the adrenaline began to fade, a different kind of tension settled between them—a tension born not of combat but of unspoken truths.

Talon glanced at Ava, her face unreadable as the shadows of the trees cast long shapes across their path. The night felt heavy, not just with the darkness, but with the weight of everything left unsaid. He couldn’t carry it any longer. He had to say it.

"Ava," Talon’s voice was quiet, almost hesitant, breaking through the stillness. "There’s… so much I never told you. About my past. About what really happened with the Syndicate."

Ava didn’t slow her pace, but she tilted her head slightly in acknowledgment, silently urging him to continue.

Talon swallowed, the memories flooding back, sharper now that they had escaped the casino. "I wasn’t just running from my father. I was running from the things he made me do. The people I hurt. The lives I ruined."

He paused, the confession sitting heavy in the air. Ava’s steps finally slowed, and she turned to face him. Her eyes, usually so hard and focused, softened slightly as she studied him. She could see the burden he carried—the guilt, the shame.

"I didn’t want you to know, Ava. I thought I could handle it. I thought I could protect you, protect Green Arbor, by keeping it all buried. But I was wrong," Talon continued, his voice thick with regret. "And I’m sorry."

Ava was silent for a moment, her expression thoughtful, but there was no judgment in her eyes. When she finally spoke, her voice was steady but laced with something deeper—an understanding born of shared pain. "Promise me, Talon. No more secrets. Not between us. We face things together. No more trying to do it alone."

Talon nodded, the weight of her words sinking in. "I promise," he said, his voice soft, but the sincerity was unmistakable. But then, a small, wry smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Though, considering no one knows much about your past either, that’s quite the stance."

Ava’s expression darkened. She stopped, turning fully to face him, her blue eyes piercing. "My past isn’t actively trying to kill us," she shot back, her voice sharp, though there was a vulnerability in the words.

Talon’s smile faded, and he raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "I know. I’m sorry," he said quickly. "It’s all out now. I’ve dealt with it. I never want to put you or Green Arbor at risk again."

The silence that followed was heavy, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. The forest around them was alive with the soft rustle of leaves, the quiet symphony of nature that seemed to soothe the edges of their conversation. But something had shifted between them—a quiet understanding, a shared moment of truth.

And then, after a long pause, Ava spoke again. Her voice was softer now, more introspective, as if she was speaking more to herself than to Talon. "You think my past isn’t dangerous, Talon?" she began, her eyes distant, as though she was seeing a memory long buried. "You’re wrong."

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Talon’s heart tightened at her words. Ava never spoke about her past. She had always kept that part of herself locked away, hidden behind her armor of strength and stoicism. But now, something had changed. Something in the darkness of the night, the weight of their shared experiences, had cracked that armor just enough for her to let him in.

"My village… it was small," Ava began, her voice quiet, but every word was heavy with emotion. "Nothing special. Just a place where people worked and lived. But it was home." She paused, her breath catching slightly. "And then, one night… it was gone."

Talon’s chest tightened as he listened, the pain in her voice cutting through him like a knife.

"Raiders came. They burned everything. Took everyone." Ava’s voice wavered slightly, but she pressed on, her eyes distant as she recounted the night that had changed everything. "The time I saw was my mother… she was telling me to run. To take my friends and get out." Her voice cracked just a little, and she closed her eyes for a moment, hanging her head as if the memory was too heavy to carry upright.

"I ran. I tried to help my friends, but…" Her voice trailed off, and when she spoke again, it was barely a whisper. "I could hear them crying as they were taken. Or worse."

Talon’s heart broke for her, for the girl she had been, for the pain she had carried all these years.

Ava’s head hung lower, her voice filled with a sorrow she had buried for so long. "I hid, Talon. I was so scared. I tried to cover my ears, but I could still hear them. The cries… until there were none."

She clenched her fists, her breath shaking slightly as the memories overwhelmed her. Talon watched, helpless but wanting to offer her something, anything to ease her burden.

"My father called out to me," she continued, her voice trembling now. "Told me to keep running. Told me not to come back. And then…" Ava’s voice faltered, and when she spoke again, it was barely a whisper. "A gunshot. And laughter."

Talon swallowed hard, his throat tight with the weight of her words. He couldn’t imagine the pain she had carried all these years, the guilt, the fear. The horror of hearing the last of her family taken from her in such a brutal, heartless way.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Ava stood there, her head still bowed, the weight of her past pressing down on her. Talon could see the struggle in her, the years of pain and loss that she had locked away, refusing to let it define her.

Finally, Talon found his voice. "Have you ever thought about going back?" he asked quietly. "To see if… if anything’s left?"

Ava shook her head slowly, her eyes still distant, locked in the past. "Never," she said, her voice firm but tinged with sorrow. "I cut that part of myself off. I moved on."

Talon was silent for a moment, letting her words sink in. He understood now, more than ever, why Ava was the way she was. Why she had built walls around herself, why she had never let anyone in fully. She had been protecting herself, protecting the part of her that was still that scared little girl who had lost everything.

But now, here they were—two people bound not just by their shared experiences but by the scars of their pasts. And for the first time, Talon felt like they were truly connected, not just as comrades, but as something more.

They continued walking in silence for a while, the forest gradually thinning as Green Arbor came into view. The soft glow of the town’s lights greeted them like a beacon, a reminder of the home they had fought so hard to protect.

Ava stopped just before they reached the edge of the woods, her hand resting on Talon’s shoulder. "Whatever comes next," she said, her voice low but filled with quiet strength, "we face it together. No more running. No more secrets. This is our home now. And whatever shadows we’ve outrun… the light we’ve found here is worth fighting for."

Talon looked at her, his heart swelling with a renewed sense of purpose. He had spent so long running from his past, hiding it from the people he cared about. But no more. Ava was right. They had something here—something worth fighting for. Worth protecting.

"For Green Arbor," Talon said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "For our family here. I’d face anything. Even my own past."

Ava gave him a small, knowing smile. "Good. Because whatever’s coming, we’ll need to be ready."

Together, they stepped out of the woods, leaving the darkness behind them. Green Arbor lay ahead, bathed in the soft glow of the morning—a symbol of the life they had built, the life they would protect. Whatever challenges awaited them, they would face it—as one.