Reborn Heart of Steel

Brianne’s Pov

The sound of my scream tore through the night sky, a raw expression of fear that reverberated against the urban structures. Chase spun around in surprise, his eyes widening as the figure attacked him.

They wrestled, tangled up in limbs and grunting. My heart felt constricted by the icy grip of fear. This was not supposed to occur. A knife-wielding attacker on a deserted rooftop was not part of the plan.

A rush of adrenaline coursed through my body, overpowering the immobilizing fear. There was no room for doubt. I needed to take action, regardless of what it was, to assist Chase.

By the railing was a decorative planter that I faintly recognized as a heavy object I had seen earlier. Using a sudden surge of intense force, I knocked it down, causing it to fall loudly to the ground.

The noise briefly interrupted the fight. Surprised, the assailant staggered backwards, holding onto the knife tightly. Chase seized the chance to escape, rolling and quickly getting back on his feet.

He yelled, infused with a dangerous edge, asking: “Who are you?”

The silhouette stayed hidden in the dark, enveloped by shadows. The sole noise present was the wheezing sound of his breath.

“By whom were you sent?” Chase pushed down, his voice getting louder.

There is no response. The form barely moved, the knife’s sparkle under the moon resembling an evil stare.

Terror gripped my throat, on the verge of suffocating me. I needed to remove both of them from this place.

Run after! I let out a loud, high-pitched scream. “We have to leave this place! Right now!”

His face showed concern as he looked at me. “Leave! I’ll keep him distracted!”

I was gripped by panic. It was inconceivable to leave him alone with this assailant. However, a quick scared look at the knife in the assailant’s hand strengthened my determination. I was unable to afford being another target.

“Absolutely not!” I yelled loudly. “We are together.” Before I could move any further, a chilling scream filled the dark night.

I stood still, my eyes filled with fear. The assailant had made a sudden forward movement, the shine of the blade cutting through the atmosphere. An alarming vision of Chase tumbling with a dark spot spreading on his clothing overwhelmed my thoughts.

I couldn’t see clearly because of tears welling up in my eyes, and I let out a choked sob. However, a surprising event occurred.

The attacker staggered backwards, letting out a cry of his own. Clutching his arm, he watched as a dark stain spread on his sleeve. Chase successfully blocked the attack and retaliated with a punch.

The assailant, muttering angrily, ran away, vanishing into the maze of fire escapes that interconnected the structure.

I quickly made my way to Chase, feeling my heart beat rapidly in my chest. “Is everything okay with you?” I stuttered, my voice trembling.

He grimaced, clutching his arm where he had been cut by the attacker. “Just a minor injury,” he muttered, his voice sounding tense. “He really got me, though.”

With shaky hands, I assisted him in taking a seat at the rooftop’s edge, while the city lights glimmered ominously beneath us. “We have to take you to a hospital,” I uttered, my voice filled with concern.

He whispered angrily, his face lacking color, “There are no hospitals. They can’t be aware of any of this.”

“You are bleeding!” I said.

“It’s not so terrible. A first-aid kit can be found in the janitor’s closet down the hallway. I can fix it up myself.”

His eyes showed a resolute determination that brooked no debate. Additionally, the idea of entering a hospital with a bloody stranger, especially given my supposed identity, was enough to make me shudder.

“Okay,” I agreed, assisting him to his feet. The adrenaline was beginning to fade away, replaced by a deep-seated exhaustion.

“I’ll help you get cleaned up,” I whispered, guiding him through the poorly lit corridor, feeling the burden of the attack heavy on me like a suffocating mist.

The janitor’s closet was a disorganized, dusty area packed with cleaning supplies and unused equipment. Chase discovered a first-aid kit hidden on a dusty shelf, moving carefully because of his injured arm.

While I assisted him in cleaning the wound, numerous questions filled my mind. Who was the person? And who sent him? And, above all, how did he find out about the “incident”?

“Who was that man?” I couldn’t hold back my curiosity any longer and finally exclaimed.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Chase stopped, pressing down on the wound using a gauze pad. “I have no idea,” he finally stated. “But, he was aware of Lucy. And he was aware of that night.”

“… Lucy,” Chase trailed, speaking in a barely audible voice. I felt a chill go down my back. Was he suspicious of something?

“What is the situation with Lucy?” I said in a successful casual tone.

Chase said he talked about quieting the sole witness, his eyes fixed on the injured arm.

My heart pounded against my chest. “There could be a possible witness.”

“Which witness?” I spoke in a raspy whisper.

He eventually glanced at me, his eyes brimming with a curious intensity. “Do you not recall, Brianne? You were present with her on the rooftop that evening.”

I was engulfed by a wave of confusion. Me? On top of the building with Lucy? Brianne was on the roof that night? How then did she get into an accident?

All of a sudden, a memory sparked, a small beam of light shining through the thick haze of history. An intense battle, a shriek abruptly silenced. A horrifying of a girl dropping and a nauseating thud reverberating in the vacant area.

I felt a sudden halt in my breathing. The memory, while fuzzy, was alarmingly vivid.

“I…” – “I can’t…” I stumbled over my words, my speech hindered. “I… can’t recall.”

Chase’s eyes became gentler, a glimpse of comprehension appearing on his face. “It’s fine,” he said in a soft manner. “That’s something trauma can cause. But, Brianne, you were present. You witnessed the events.”

His assumption was incorrect. I was not Brianne. However, I had witnessed the events unfold. I, Lucy, had seen the calamity that caused my death. But was unaware of the culprit.

Or could it have been Brianne?

The sudden awareness hit me hard, like a tsunami.

The gossip, the solitude, the last desperate gesture everything resurfaced suddenly. And this evening’s assailant, his alarming comments about quieting the witness…

He was under the impression that Brianne, had witnessed something? Or could this have just been a cruel coincidence, a terrifying repetition of history?

I started with a barely audible voice. “Chase. There is something important that you must be aware of.”

He glanced upwards, a hint of excitement in his gaze. Before I could say anything else, a loud noise from the lower floor broke the delicate quietness.

“What is that noise?” Chase made a hissing sound, quickly looking towards the door.

The sound of footsteps reverberated down the hallway, drawing nearer with every second that passed. Next, there was a shake of the doorknob, and then a rough voice was heard.

The voice boomed, demanding, “Unlock the door!”

Fear twisted in my gut. Whoever the person was, they were not friendly and I knew I had to get out of here… now.