Chapter 3: Hopes and Dreams
IAN
The second that loud thud echoed through the room, my body reacted before my brain did. I shoved the door open so fast I nearly ripped it off its hinges. "What happened?!"
The words left my mouth before I even processed what I was seeing. A vase rolled across the wooden floor. The girl was standing beside the bed. And judging from the shattered flowers scattered near the wall, she had thrown the vase directly at the door. For a moment, we simply stared at each other. Then I blinked. Well. That wasn't what I expected. I had imagined an injured patient. A frightened survivor.
Maybe someone weak from blood loss.
Not someone ready to launch household decorations at the first sign of movement.
Slowly, I relaxed my posture and lowered my guard. "Hey," I said, trying not to laugh. "That's not very nice." Her shoulders stiffened. "Throwing things around the place that offered you safety?" I gestured dramatically toward the broken vase.
"I mean no harm. This place means no harm." Her expression remained cautious.
"We found you wounded, so our people brought you here." I folded my arms.
"And since this morning you've been resting." My eyes drifted toward the remains of the vase. "I can also see you've definitely regained your energy." The sarcasm slipped out before I could stop it.
For the first time, her expression softened.
Just a little. The tension in her shoulders eased. Good. Because honestly, she looked like someone who'd been carrying tension for a very long time. The way her eyes constantly scanned the room. The way she positioned herself near the wall.
The way she seemed prepared to fight at any second. It wasn't normal. Or maybe it was normal now. Not after everything people had endured. She looked around the room again. I noticed it immediately.
She'd probably been doing that repeatedly since she woke up. Checking exits. Checking windows. Checking threats.
Survival habits. I knew them well. Finally, her eyes settled on me. She hesitated.
Then asked, "How old are you?" Of all the questions she could have asked... I nearly laughed. Somehow I managed to keep it buried. "I'm turning nineteen tomorrow."
I paused. "What about you?" She seemed hesitant. Like she wasn't sure whether she should answer. Then she looked at me.
Really looked at me. Maybe she saw something trustworthy. Or maybe she was just tired of being suspicious. Either way, she finally answered. "I'm eighteen." I nodded. Called it. I guessed she was around my age. Maybe a year younger. No surprise there. After a brief silence, I smiled. "Hey, if you don't mind me asking..."
I tilted my head. "What's your name?"
Something strange crossed her face.
I frowned slightly. She looked...Confused.
Not by the question itself. But by the answer. For a moment, it genuinely looked like she was trying to remember her own name. The realization sent a strange feeling through me. That wasn't normal.
Not even close. Finally, she spoke.
"My name is Elena." Elena. The name suited her. I smiled. "Elena." The corners of my mouth lifted. "Nice to meet you." She nodded quietly. Another silence settled between us. I decided to break it. After all, Emma had sent me here for a reason.
I let out a breath. "So." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I was assigned to show you around the shelter." Her eyebrows furrowed. Clearly she wasn't expecting that. "Are you up for it?" She looked confused for a moment. Then slowly nodded. I took that as a yes. "Great."
I walked toward one of the storage cabinets and opened it. Inside were neatly folded sets of clothing. I grabbed one and handed it to her. She accepted it. Looked down. Looked back up at me. Then I looked down again. Confusion spread across her face. "I think you gave me the wrong clothes." I blinked. "What?" She held them up. "They're the same as what everyone else here is wearing." For a moment I just stared. Then I laughed softly.
"No." I shook my head. "Not a mistake."
Her expression remained puzzled. "We all wear uniforms here." I pointed toward my own outfit. "Ever since you arrived, our best tailors made one for you too." I grinned.
"After taking your measurements, of course." A thought occurred to me. "And don't worry." I raised both hands. "They're girls." That seemed important somehow.
"Brilliant girls, actually." I nodded confidently. "Valery and Diana." The confusion on Elena's face slowly turned into curiosity. I continued. "It's light pink."
She looked down at the folded suit again.
"They chose the color themselves." I raised my fingers into quotation marks.
"Their exact words were..." I deepened my voice dramatically. "'It'll suit her skin tone and her eyes.'" Elena stared. I shrugged.
"Not my words." Then I added, "If you don't like it, you can tell them. They'll absolutely change it." For a moment she said nothing.
Then something happened that caught me completely off guard. Her eyes shimmered.
Like she might cry. She fought it immediately. Swallowed it back. But I noticed. And somehow that reaction meant more than any words could have. She looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite understand. Warmth. Gratitude.
Disbelief. Maybe all three. Finally, she nodded. Then cleared her throat. "Turn around." I blinked. "What?" She narrowed her eyes. At me. Then at the clothes. Then back at me. "Turn around." Realization struck me like a truck. "Oh." Heat immediately climbed into my face. "Right."
I spun around so quickly I almost tripped.
"Sorry." For several seconds I stared at the wall. Trying very hard not to think about how awkward that had been. The room remained quiet. Then I felt a gentle tap against my shoulder. I turned around.
And immediately forgot what I was about to say. For a second my brain simply stopped working. The suit fit her perfectly.
Of course it did. It had literally been made for her. Still, seeing it was different. The soft pink fabric carried a faint glossy sheen that caught the light whenever she moved.
The high collar framed her neck. Clean seam lines ran along the suit with precise craftsmanship. The design was practical.
Streamlined. Built for movement and survival. The reinforced panels hinted at protection rather than decoration. It was exactly the same style all of us wore.
I was wearing a black version right now.
Yet somehow it looked completely different on her. Maybe it was because of her blond hair. Maybe it was her icy blue eyes. Eyes so striking that my brain immediately produced the most ridiculous thought imaginable. They could freeze lava and melt ice. Which made absolutely no sense.
Not even a little. But somehow it still felt accurate. Her fair skin carried the faintest hint of a sun kissed tan. And the color chosen by Valery and Diana somehow complemented everything perfectly. I continued staring. Probably for too long.
Way too long. Only then did I notice Elena looking increasingly uncomfortable. Oh no.
I immediately cleared my throat. "I..." Brilliant. Very smooth, Ian. I forced myself to speak. "You look stunning in that suit."
The words flew out so fast I barely heard them. The moment they left my mouth, regret hit me. Hard. I closed my eyes.
Please let the ground open up and swallow me. Please. When I opened them again, Elena was smiling. Just slightly. But it was enough. Instantly, the embarrassment faded. Not completely. Just enough for me to survive. She tilted her head. "So." The smile remained. "Shall we go?" I nodded.
Maybe a little too quickly. "Yeah." Definitely too quickly. I turned toward the door before I could embarrass myself further. "Follow me." We stepped into the corridor together. The resting area stretched around us quite. Peaceful. Compared to the outside world, it almost felt normal. As we walked, I began explaining. "This is our resting area." My voice echoed softly through the hall.
"Most of our patients stay here." I glanced around. "The elderly." A few doors passed by. "The injured." Another hallway appeared ahead. "Anyone who needs recovery time." Elena listened carefully. Taking everything in. Together, we exited the resting section and stepped into the shelter's main lobby. And for the first time since she arrived... She finally saw the heart of the community that had saved her.
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