choices overdose

Upon Aleister’s return to the group, the chill of his father’s presence seemed to follow him, unlike anything he had known before. This was supposed to be the end, a cathartic ending to a relationship that had plagued him all his life. Finally, he’d found the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Grace. 

At last, a new beginning was just at his fingertips. However, even with the gain of freedom, he was still endlessly pondering the constant danger he was n. The group had been nothing but welcoming to him, despite what he had done. Perhaps this was just built-up guilt, that was only leaking out then because he never really had the chance to feel it. 

Meanwhile, Grace could sense that there was something different about her love. Could he even still feel it? What exactly did his father do to him in that compound? What did he make him do? 

The estranged couple had avoided the chance to discuss anything until that moment, since the group’s first priority was finding a hideout for the night. As the moon found its spotlight in the sky, Grace spotted Aleister gazing at the night with curiosity, holding a desire to wait until he was ready to open up to her. On an island where time has no bounds, a peaceful twilight was hard to come by, and Aleister had taken full advantage of it.

Even though he should be reuniting with his friends, Aleister had never felt more isolated from his former self and the people he knew. The icy atmosphere in the air was thick, as Grace observed him from a mossy, stone wall. Usually, an unsteady wave of anxiousness would wash over her in these moments, because she knew she was the only person Aleister would open up to. However, she felt motivated to understand the events of the compound and why it was so difficult for him to tell the truth about it. Drawing on that flicker of courage, she stepped onto the damp grass, the faint rustle alerting Aleister of her presence. 

“Everyone misses you in there.” Grace muttered, only to be disappointed when his head does not turn at the sound of her voice.

For a while, there was nothing but silence, as Aleister processed her presence and how he should handle the conversation he’d long dreaded.

“There are too many questions, Grace.” He finally began, eyes still fixed on the shadows he swore were around him. “There are too many questions that I want to answer, but I cannot.”

Grace’s nerves were lowered by the fact he was finally comfortable enough to speak. With that newfound but fragile hope, she took a step forward, delicate enough to not create any fear. “You saved them. Now, they just want their friend back.”

Something in her words caused a shudder to run through Aleister - a frosty feeling that was far too familiar now. In an instant, he flipped around to look her in the eye.

“What if I’m not the same person I was? Would they still want me then?” His voice carried loss, as if he was grieving a part of himself. Grace knew his hardships well enough, but this was something she had never seen before. Displaying a sign of understanding, she carefully took another step in his direction, her eyebrows furrowing with worry. “I know I was stupid to believe my father could protect us. I know that I defied him. I just cannot help but feel like he’s still influencing me. I feel so different.” 

The distance between them was impossible to ignore, as if a colossal iceberg was blocking Aleister’s will to embrace Grace the way he did before he betrayed the group. All she could feel was him slowly slipping away from her. 

“It’s okay to change. This island makes it impossible not to.” Grace reassured,  hoping that was enough to bring him back down to earth. To her dismay, it only seemed to drive him further away, as the viscous frown he once wore on a daily basis returned to his lips. Frustrated, his hands balled into fists.

“It’s more than that, Grace. I let my father lock you in a cage. I did despicable things that I can’t bring myself to share with you.” Aleister admitted. To him, it felt like creating his own personal prison was the only way to atone for his sins. Grace searched for his gaze, a looming desperation in his pale, blue eyes. “I thought I was protecting you.”

Upon hearing those words she’d grown sick and tired of, Grace sensed her own frustration building. “How many times do I have to tell you that I hate being put on a pedestal? None of us ever needed protecting, Aleister. We had each other!” She snapped, a shock of regret hitting her as soon as her vent ended. In response, Aleister’s eyes widened, not because he had not witnessed this side of his girlfriend before, but because of her words. 

“I’m not a hero, Grace, but I was thinking about the safety of the group when I did that.” Aleister clarified, hanging his head in defeat. “Now, it’s something else. I feel vengeful and lost. I want my father to fucking suffer.” 

With that, it was like Aleister was frozen inside the iceberg between them, completely isolated from the rest of the world. It was up to Grace to bring him warmth, once she made that choice. After a deep exhale, she closed the space between them, cupping his cold face with her hands. From a short distance, she could not just notice his pain, she could feel every single grain of it. That same desperation lurking in his gaze was reaching out for her, like a ghost begging from the Underworld.

“You never needed to be the hero. You needed to trust us. Trust me.” As she spoke, Aleister carefully contemplated every word, losing himself in her honesty. Of course he trusted her; that fact she doubted it felt like a stab to his heart. In his mind, everything he did was for her, but somehow it changed him. However, was it for better or worse? “I’ve done things I’m not proud of. I didn’t even have a good excuse, just spite. I’ve had unthinkable thoughts about my mother, because of the way she treated me. I understand what you’re feeling. You just have to let me listen.” 

Her assertive tone ensured that her words struck Aleister deeply. In response, he softly connected his hand to the one she held his face with, rubbing circles over her skin. Its purpose was to display his affection for her, but more importantly, to show how he was listening to her, which pleased her more than he could ever know. For a few moments, they just remain there together in silence, their foreheads knocking in unison. As time passed, Aleister slowly began accepting the warmth she brought to him. Finally, he raised his head to stare into her eyes, making sure she knew he meant his next sentence.

“I’m so sorry for everything.” The pain returned to his face momentarily, as he directed his hand so he was stroking the chestnut curls in her hair. “I never blamed you for hating me.”

Bewildered, Grace laced her fingers around her love’s neck, trying to combat his incorrect words with physical affection. “I was angry… but I never hated you. I don’t think I have it in me.” 

For the first time in a while, a smile crept upon Aleister’s expression, their trust finally fulfilled. “Of course you don’t. You’re the embodiment of the sun.” He said with certainty and as much love as he could muster. With that, their lips meet, a desperation connecting them deeper than they had ever been before. Grace shifts her hand placement to his white hair, making the most of their reunion after so long apart. It was as if elements were colliding, creating the perfect balance of ice and fire. After a few passionate moments, they part, locking eyes once more.

“I love you, Aleister. I’ll never stop, no matter how much you change.” Grace promised, giving her words a moment to cut him deep so he completely believed them. That smile he gained never disappeared.

  She stirred at the word, but only internally. Her own mind could barely bring itself to function again and it certainly wasn’t used to it. Even her own thoughts were hard to form. It felt like she hadn’t moved mentally in forever and hearing a sound almost seemed like a foreign concept.

  “Come on. Wake up.”

  There it was again. That voice. The tone of a male. Strained and tainted with fear. Echoing like a ghost in her head. But was it a devil or an angel?  “I know you’re there. Please.”

  Again, she felt herself stir. This time physically, determined by the catch in his breath and the shock that came with it. All she had to do was open her eyes. Why did it feel like such a heavy burden to perform one action?

  “You’re breathing!”

  He gasped again. Less strain and more hope. Although her body felt completely numb, her senses were finally coming back to her. At last, her eyes shifted and she could open them half-way. Despite her blurred version, she caught sight of a face staring at her, shaking her gently.

  The man didn’t talk for a while. He just waited impatiently for her to regain full consciousness. Not hearing his voice almost made her think she was falling into darkness again.

  “Please…”  Inhale. Exhale. With her breathing pattern finally falling into place, she tried to open her eyes further. She’s met face to face with the man calling out to her. He was strong-faced and tanned, with cerulean eyes that ignited with hope once her own had finally opened. In a way, she recognised him but in another, she’d never seen him until this very moment.

 “Oh my god! You’re alive.” He exclaimed, running his hand over his sweating forehead. At this point, every part of him was relieved.

  Adjusting to reality, she held his gaze for a long moment before the questions regarding the situation entered her mind at last. Where was she? Who was this man before her? Who was she?  Clearing her throat, she attempted to speak. “I feel… numb.” She barely muttered, physically defeated and the man wasn’t at all surprised by it.

  “I know. Don’t worry, I’m going to get you out.” He assured, unable to suppress a smile of satisfaction, which she was only confused by.

  “Where… am I?”

  The man turned his attention away from her, breaking their stare. Now, he was fiddling with something beside her that she couldn’t make out through her tainted vision.

  “You’ve been asleep in this pod for five years. I’m sorry it took so long for me to find you.”  

  Suddenly, she felt her body shake. Whether it was a reaction to the reveal or her senses coming back to her she couldn’t decipher. What she could sense was that the numbness was starting to go away and her body was slowly becoming mobile. The man brought his eyes back to hers and they widened as the sight of her stirring.

  “Can you move?” 

  Sure enough, her hand was now present. Movement felt natural again so she attempted her first action but something held her back. 

  “What…”

  “You’re trapped. I’m tryna’ find a way to disable it.”  He started moving his head frantically again but it abruptly fell down, while his eyes stared in that direction for a good moment.

  “Ah, fuck it.” 

  BANG. BANG. BANG. Three straight shots and she felt a sharp pain on her arms. The numbness was fleeting but she still couldn’t stop her body from plummeting to the floor, meeting cold tile. The unknown man reacted, lifting her from the ground and clutching her in his arms, as carefully as he could. 

  “Shit, are you okay?” He asked, panicked, hastily brushing her hair out of her face. Her brain still isn’t catching up, even as she looked in his eyes once more. No information was coming to her. Finally, her voice allowed her to form words.

  “Who… are you?”

  The man’s eyes widened, as if he was realising what was happening.

  “Lo, come on. It’s me.” 

  It was as if he didn’t think he had to explain his identity. As if she was supposed to know. However, he did say one important thing. Something she recognised. He called her ‘Lo’. 

  “You don’t remember–”

  BANG. Another loud and unsettling noise, and suddenly, she was on the floor again. Vision catching up swiftly now, she watched as the man grabbed his arm in pain. Two guard-looking figures had entered the room, both holding gigantic guns. One had obviously just been fired.

  “You really never know when to fucking quit, do you, Wolf?” One of them speaks in a disgusted tone.

  Wolf?

  However, the man didn’t appear to slow down from the shot. In a flash, he ran at the two men, going for one of the high-powered guns. They wrestled for it for a couple seconds, before he lifted a leg and kicked the soldier's own to limit his balance. As a counter, the soldier goes for his opponent’s weak arm, causing him to seeth at the impact. Reacting, he steadies his grip on the heavy machinery and moves one of his hands to grab his gun from his belt, planting a shot in the leg he’d kicked. Now, the soldier was caught off guard, allowing her supposed saviour to take charge. The other soldier tried to shoot back but the man’s too fast. With no warning, he fired a flock of bullets that seemed to end the two soldiers' lives instantly. They fell to the floor, motionless.

  Cautiously, the man stared at their corpses for a few moments, as if to make sure they’re truly dead. Satisfied, he turned his attention back to the girl, eyes wide from what she’d just witnessed. Rushing to her side, he attempted to help her to feet.

  “Come on. We need to get out of here before more come.” 

The robotic lift beeped abruptly, locking Aleister out of his mind once more. Heavy, silver doors slid open with an almost taunting ease, revealing a hallway drenched in the dark. Each step he took cascaded him in more shadow the deeper he ventured until he finally reached the threshold of a grand office. 

The room exuded power and unease. Chairs, upholstered in stiff, unforgiving leather, stood like sentinels around a polished ebony desk. The walls, lined with evidence of forgotten crimes—photographs, newspaper clippings, trophies of malice—pressed down like unspoken accusations. A massive stained-glass window dominated the right wall, casting fractured light onto the floor. Its vivid reds and golds painted a scene of triumph and ruin, the figures locked in eternal conflict.

Before the window, Everett Rourke stood in quiet contemplation, his hands clasped behind his back. The faint light played over his sharp profile, a shadow of authority and menace. Even without a word, he could strike fear through a menacing aura. Aleister froze, his posture stiff, waiting in tense silence for his father to acknowledge him. He knew better than to anger his father by declaring the problem first.

 “I take it, you visited Laboratory 99?” Rourke began, his voice complete with mostly grit and could easily have been mistaken as a growl. However, this was considered his neutral level. Aleister turned to face the same direction as his father, despite only being greeted with this back and making sure to keep an unmistakable distance. 

“Lo’s escaped. Definitely not alone.” Aleister stated, matching Everett’s emotionless tone.

Rourke’s head jerked left to half-acknowledge his son. “I see… and what of ‘SPOILER’?” 

Aleister sighed, realising he couldn’t have avoided delivering this news. “Dead.”  His breath caught for a second but he quickly resolved it, not willing to lose face in front of his father. 

  Rourke tutted, upon hearing that. “It seems we should’ve killed her when we had the chance.” He spins to completely face his son, making his disappointment very well-known. “I trust you will fix this problem, Aleister.”

  Five years before all of this madness, Aleister would have never expected his father to speak with such confidence in him. All this time, he had been proving his worth and displaying his intellectual proficiencies to Rourke. Even then, it still sent a warm sensation through his ice-cold heart. 

She looks around the lodge that everyone was too exhausted to explore last night. Probably a mistake because anyone could have snuck up on them last night. Perhaps Lundgren’s soldiers know this was a place they could have chosen to hide in and are on their way right now. 

Lo’s mind had begun to spin to negative thoughts and she tried to pull it back to the reason she got up in the first place. She walks up a big staircase and stumbles upon a hallway of suites. She passes some doors until she reaches one with an ajar door. Curiously, she enters.

Immediately, she spots Jake, sitting on a couch that’s connected to a window. He’s just staring out at the snow. Lo can’t see his eyes but she already knows he’s not looking out of peace. The door creaked slightly as she walked in and she expected Jake to turn around. But he doesn’t. His eyes remain on the outside.

Lo stays put by the door for a moment, waiting for something from Jake. Still nothing. So, she slowly walks up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder so he knows it’s her.

“Jake…” She begins. “You okay?”

Jake doesn’t say anything back or tear his gaze away from the window. All he does is move his hand to where Lo placed hers. His grasp is comfortable, as he rubs his thumb over her skin. They stay like that for a few moments, as Jake clearly isn’t in the mood to talk right now. 

For the first time, he makes a noise. Even if it’s just a heavy sigh, Lo feels more hopeful for a conversation.

“Did you sleep okay?” Jake finally says, bringing some relief to Lo.

“I slept okay.” Lo answers. “Would’ve woken up better to your face though.”

Jake releases a low chuckle, a slight smile arriving on his face for a second. It disappears quickly and he sighs again. “Is that why you came looking for me?”

Lo moves to sit beside him, finally able to see his eyes. His stare still hasn’t moved from the window. “What’s so special about outside?” She asks, moving her eyes to the window as well. All she sees is a wasteland of snow, empty and hollow. One noticeable thing though is that it never seems to end.

“Nothing.” Jake mutters, hanging his head a little. “That’s why I keep looking.”

Lo tilts her head curiously at his extremely bleak comment. She leans against the wall at the other end of the seat, so she’s opposite Jake. He was right though. Something about the calm snowfall and wintery landscape screamed ordinary and perhaps that’s why Jake was so drawn to it. Nothing in their lives had been ordinary since they arrived on this island and the escape back to that normality was something they all longed for.

“It’s all my fault, Lo.” Jake suddenly mumbles, his tone completely defeated. “Lundgren found me. Somehow. I have no idea how but he did.” He hangs his head further down and his shoulders are tempted to fall with him.

Instinctively, Lo shifts closer to him, wanting to comfort him as best she could. “It’s not your fault. I think Rourke might’ve alerted him.” Of course Lo doesn’t know that but she’ll say anything to stop Jake from blaming himself.

“You say that but you don’t know.” It’s like he can read her thoughts. With that, he fixes his gaze on Lo, letting her finally see his eyes. “All of it is just insane. I finally tell you all about my past and it instantly comes back to bite me.” Jake’s words are laced with hurt and Lo can tell he’s trying his best to hide it. “Maybe they would’ve come earlier if I told you any sooner.”

At his words, Lo feels a tinge of guilt, since he’d already told her about his past much before all this. Would telling him that make him feel better or worse? She can’t decide.

“Jake…” That’s all she manages to say, while she fights with her own brain. 

Jake notices her indecisive expression and simply raises an eyebrow at her. “What?”

Realising the hole she’d already dug for herself, Lo relents. “You did. You told me about it before.”

Confused, Jake scans his girlfriend’s face, trying to figure out what she means. “I did?”

“Remember the first night we got together?” Lo mutters, causing Jake to release a breathy laugh. For a moment, she swears she could see him smile.

“Of course,” is all he responds with, taking her hand in his.

Lo blushes slightly at the tender contact, feeling more confident in continuing. “You told me about your past. All of it. Then, all the shit happened with Vaaryn.” Her expression begins to fall. “That necklace took me back to where I wanted to be, but it was before that conversation so you don’t remember it.”

“Ah.” Jake lets out, dropping her hand in the process and moving his own behind his head. 

Slightly saddened by the removal of his touch, Lo hesitantly continues. “I didn’t want to tell you that I knew out of respect for you. ‘Figured you would’ve told me again when you felt ready.” She sighs, realising that’s not what he did.

“I was going to.” Jake confirms, moving his hands from his head and placing them on his knees. “But there was never really a good time. With Diego getting kidnapped. The Vaanti and all that stupid bullshit. Didn’t want to add any more onto your plate.”

He hangs his head again, looking more defeated by the second. Lo shifted closer to him once again, tilting his chin with her finger so his eyes meet hers. She could tell he was growing tired of it all, even if his demeanour appeared strong and prepared in most of the danger they’d experienced. This was different. This was the first time she’d seen his eyes so full of dread.

“We both had our reasons then, I guess.” She tries to joke but it doesn’t really come out like one. Her tone starts to become just as shaky as his. However, Jake does let out a small chuckle.

“Yeah. We’re both trying.” Jake smiles again and this time it’s genuine. “I can promise you one thing though, Princess.” 

“What’s that?” Lo asks, smiling back at him.

“Lundgren’s not gonna touch you. I swear on that.” Jake’s gaze becomes serious and full of intent. “No one’s dying on my watch.” He cups Lo’s face and grazes his thumb over her cheek.

“No one.” Lo repeats his words, implying for him to stay away from his own demise too. “We’re not losing anyone.” She states sternly, pointing a finger on his chest.

As a reaction, he lets out a low chuckle. “Okay. I get it. You’re not over me attempting to sacrifice myself.”

Lo moves her hands to his neck and begins to stroke the bottom of his hair. “I don’t know what you mean. Of course I want everyone to live.” She arches her eyebrows at him, making sure she’s coming off direct. “You hear me?”