ARIA
THE ENTIRE NIGHT, I pondered over what he had meant. I couldn't grasp it, and it refused to leave my mind, his words echoing repeatedly until I finally chose to close my eyes and drift into sleep. The next morning, I was awakened by Ronan's dog jumping onto me, showering me with profuse licks until I gave in and woke up.
I settled on the name "Seal." If neither Viktor nor Ronan were going to name him, I would. Seal was the perfect name, for reasons I won't get into, but it simply felt right. It held significance and meaning.
"Since I'll be staying here, could I perhaps take Seal for a walk or join you when you do?" I asked of Viktor as he cleared my plate. His lips curved into a frown. "Seal?" he questioned. I smiled and shrugged in response. "It's just something I came up with," I explained.
"Seal," he echoed, a smile forming. "I like it."
He had walked around the kitchen island, to place the dirty dishes into the sink. He had washed them, and after he dried them with a white cloth. "And the answer to your question, is yes, you may. But we're only allowed around the corner and back." I sent him a nod his way, and we began to make our way to seal and head out to bring him on a walk.
Seal was attached to his leash, walking through the streets, tongue out and tail wagging - it was the cutest thing. By my side was Viktor, who had informed me that we were only taking a walk around the street without making any other stops, and I complied.
"How long have you lived in Moscow?" I asked.
"Four years. I came here around the same time Ronan and Nicholas did. Just like them, I was born in a town called Kyzyl. It took me about a year to adapt to this lifestyle, considering the town I was born in was nothing like this," he replied, briefly glancing around before focusing his attention back on me.
I continued to listen as he spoke. "Before I met Ronan and Nicholas, my life was completely different. I went through a challenging period that one could only hope to never experience. Both my parents were drug addicts, and that affected me deeply. Things worsened as I reached your age. Growing up with parents who cared only about drugs and nothing else was tough. I guess they're right when they say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Drugs became all I knew, all I cared about. But that changed when I met Ronan and Nicholas. They transformed my life, and I can't express how grateful I am for them." His words hit me like a wave, and I felt a storm of emotions wash over me.
He then lifted his coat sleeve, revealing a semicolon tattoo - a symbol of overcoming a difficult time in your life: addictions, or any other mental illnesses.
"I'm glad you were able to overcome such a difficult situation. But how did you manage to take care of Nicholas and Ronan on your own, especially during that difficult period?" I questioned.
As we turned a corner, the house came into view just a few minutes away. "Two weeks before I met Nicholas and Ronan, I nearly experienced an accidental overdose," he began. "That was the moment I truly realized I needed to change. Not only for my own well-being, but also because both my parents had died from overdoses. I had always told myself I wouldn't become like them, but I failed. When I woke up in a hospital bed, connected to machines, I saw it as a sign. My parents didn't get a second chance, but I did. I decided to embrace that chance and change, because second chances don't come again that often." he finished.
We were now standing in front of the house. I let the leash go, and seal ran inside the gate. Viktor let me get in first, and he followed behind me. I turned my body to face his, and decided to walk backwards, but that was a terrible idea because I hit something hard. I assumed it was a wall, but once I turned around it wasn't a wall. Instead, it was a chest, a hard chest that felt like a brick wall.
"Gde vy byli vdvoyem?" he asked, taking a step back from me. I fix my hair, straighten myself up, and fold my arms across my chest.
"We took the dog out for a walk," Viktor replies.
"YA skazal vam, chto ona dolzhna ostavat'sya vnutri i ne vypuskat'sya naruzhu. YA mog by poklyast'sya, chto imenno ty skazal, chto yeye zdes' byt' ne dolzhno, potomu chto zdes' nebezopasno." I turn my attention to Viktor, who lets out a sigh.
"Let's not do this right now, in front of her, Armen. Aria, go inside and take a rest." He turns to me, and I had already paused at the name he had just called Ronan. Was that a nickname? Did he give it to him?
But I do as I'm told. I go inside, up the stairs to my bedroom, and I stay in there for the remainder of the day. Nighttime falls quickly, and I can't help but feel a sense of boredom come down on me. I still have yet to so much as touch the cellphone Ronan had gifted me the first day I was here. It was just too much for me, and I just wasn't ready yet.
Seal was already sound asleep by the time I went downstairs. He had grown tired from the walk, and the long hour of us playing after the small confrontation between Ronan and Viktor. Viktor was only fifteen years older than Ronan, but he still seemed more like a father to him than a brother.
I had just realized that I had only seen the second and top floors of the house, and not the downstairs. The top floor was where I was. The second floor only had the kitchen and the living area. There were only three bedrooms on the top floor, which included mine, and the other two were empty. I assumed Viktor and Ronan had their rooms on the third floor, which I guess I wasn't allowed on because they never showed it to me. During my time here, I've hardly seen Ronan. Just like before, in the last house, he would come at night and never be here in the morning.
The third floor was dark. This part of the house seemed to give off a different vibe than the rest of the house. There were a total of four rooms, which were either bedrooms or bathrooms. The first room I came across was a bathroom, but it only had a toilet and a sink. The second room I came across was an actual bedroom. It wasn't much and it was just like all the other rooms. The third room was, yet again, another bedroom. The fourth room was finally something interesting. It seemed to be an office with a small library. It was most likely Ronan's office, or even a shared one with Viktor.
I entered inside and was greeted by the already lit fireplace, which gave the room a warm touch. There wasn't a light on, but the fireplace did it justice and provided enough light to see everything. I took everything in and surveyed my surroundings. There was a wooden black desk with a chair behind it. On the desk were a few things: chess pieces that I assumed were decorations, a computer, and other decorative objects. There was a tall shelf that also had decor on it, but accompanied by it were different chess medals.
I guess he did love the game of chess.
I picked up the medal and ran my thumb around the edges of the emboldened words on it. I set it back down after admiring it and the others, before I went over to the bookshelf and stared at a few familiar books on it. He had books that I've read and books that I was going to read but never got the chance to. As I moved towards the end of the bookshelf, I couldn't help but notice there was a second door. This seemed like déjà vu all over again because in the old house there was a second door connecting to Ronan's boxing room. I wondered if this was it, and my curiosity took me far enough to place my hand on the doorknob and see if it would open.
And, not surprisingly, it did. The long stairs led to a room, this time without a door. As I descended down the stairs, there was nothing but silence until I reached the end of the steps. The sound of a bang made me jump and I ducked. It was a gunshot. But there was no one here, no one around.
Then there was another one.
Another.
Then another.
And then it seemed like guns were just going off and the bullets were ricocheting off the walls.
The silence returns briefly, shattered by yet another round of gunfire. Despite my stillness, my legs carry me toward the loud sound. What if they're were in a full-blown gunfight, and I'm about to find myself in the middle of it? The room is dimly lit, a glimmer of light revealing a boxing room. But this isn't just any boxing room; Ronan stands, firing a gun at a dartboard target. His personal shooting range, right here in his home.
Four targets line the room, and he methodically fires at each. The first bullet strikes the head -a precise headshot-before the rest riddle the body with rapid succession. Ronan remains focused, his back turned as he empties rounds into the targets. My eyes involuntarily trail down his form; he wears a fitted white tee and grey cotton shorts, which would only reveal the tattoos etched onto his legs. His hair was also disheveled; I guess he had boxed before he had moved on to his next task.
"Your ability to not listen never ceases to amaze me." Ronan turns, gun leveled at me. I freeze, our gazes locking. Slowly, he approaches, the gun maintaining its aim until he's mere inches away. I feel the gentle brush of the gun against my forehead, trailing down my left cheek as I close my eyes.
"Why did you come down here?" His voice filled my ears, and it seemed to be the only thing I wanted to hear whenever we came into contact.
"I was bored. I've been cooped up in my room all day, with nothing else to do," I reply.
He retracts the gun, tucking it into his grey shorts. "And you thought coming down here would be entertaining?" He raises an eyebrow.
I shrug. "It seemed worth a shot."
Another brief silence ensues until he finds the right words to share. "The phone is there for a reason - have you used it yet?" he questions.
I shake my head. "I haven't, and I don't want to," I confess. He tilts his head, his gaze fixed on the ground beneath us. "You don't want to, or you're just not ready to?" he probes.
Once again, I shake my head. "I just don't."
"They're dead," he begins, and I feel my blood run cold. "Accept the fact that you'll never see or hear from them again. When you dial their numbers on the phone, they won't answer. When you text them, the message won't get through. And when you finally confront this reality, you'll realize that you've been in denial all along because you were too afraid to accept what really happened," he concludes, and I remain silent.
I stand there. I'm not sure how much time passes, but I can't move. Time seems to stand still, held by his words. The possibility looms that maybe, just maybe, he's right. He has an uncanny knack for being right about everything, and I'm left wondering why. Yet, I don't want to know why. From the moment I met him, I've been curious about who he truly is. Now, I have my answer. He's nothing but a lost soul who revels in tearing out others' hearts and consuming them for his own satisfaction, devoid of a heart himself. He feeds off the pain and suffering of others because he's in pain and suffering. He finds pleasure in hurting people; he finds joy in killing.
And my family was truly gone.
・・・
Somewhat lengthy chapter!
ARIA is finally coming to terms
with her family's death. Aria also know Ronan's nickname and that too plays a big role in THE STORY!
There's also a reason the dog is called seal, and I just think it's so cute.
I CANT WAAAAIT FOR THE GROVELING IN THIS BOOK! Other than that, I hope you enjoyed today's chapter! I love you all :)