Eleutheromania- Aru Shah (On 'Hiatus')

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒮𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃

AN: Yes, I am taking part of the plot from Striking Water and transferring it here. It's my story, I can do what I want. Don't judge me. A girl can only come up with so many plots.

PLEASE READ THE AUTHORS NOTE AT THE END. IMPORTANT STUFF IS BEING SAID. 

Aru dropped to her knees and covered her ears. "Make it stop!" she yelled, not meaning to raise her voice, but she did.

Mini knelt next to her. "What? What is it? Are you hurt? Hallucinating?"

"It hurts! Make it stop, Mini," Aru cried.

"Brynne!" Mini yelled up the mountain.

Brynne ran down the mountain to the two of them. "Hang in there, Shah. Just tell us what's the matter," Brynne said.

"My head. It hurts. It sounds like someone's scraping a fork on a plate repeatedly," Aru said, trying to stay as calm as she could.

- Kara's Third Person -

"Dad, where are we going?" Kara asked.

"We're going to visit your mother," Suyodhana said, fixing the tie on his chest.

"Krithika?"

"Yes."

"I don't want to see her. She didn't want to see me, so why should I want to see her?"

"We're going; end of discussion."

Kara went to go say something else, but she was cut off by the same sound Aru was hearing. It didn't affect her like it did Aru. She only heard the noise as if it was in the distance, whereas Aru heard it as if she was standing next to the person doing it.

She heard Aru crying out, begging the gods to get it to stop. She heard Brynne trying to reassure her she would be alright, and Mini trying to figure out how to get it to stop.

"What are you doing to her?" Kara asked, her voice shaky.

"Whatever do you mean? Who is this her?"

"Why are you hurting her?" she said again, her voice lined with fear and concern.

Suyodhana turned to Kara. "I'm not doing anything, darling. What are you talking about?" He reached out in concern toward his daughter, but she only pulled away.

"Why are you doing this?!"

"Kara, what are you talking about?"

It finally hit Kara that he wasn't doing anything. She could see the complete confusion and concern behind his eyes. His brows were furrowed, and his lips were parted slightly.

"Y-you aren't doing this to her?" Kara asked again.

"Who is this her you keep referring to?!" Suyodhana snapped. Kara took a small step back, scared of her father's temper.

"I'm sorry, Kara. That wasn't nice." He reached toward her and she didn't step away, so he took it as a go-ahead. "Who do you think I'm hurting?"

"Aru. She's in pain."

"What do you mean she's in pain?"

"She's hearing a screeching in her ears and she can barely talk. Dad, it's bad."

A hologram of the mountain scene appeared in front of the two, and Suyodhana watched the feed closely.

"We have to help her," Kara said.

Just as Kara was about to open another portal, the Sleeper stopped her. "Not yet. Wait."

"Wait? Wait for what? For her to pass out because of how much pain she's in? No."