:(
Awards After-party, post plot drop
Reference
She didn’t know exactly what to feel. Aviv had brought her to the room probably within seconds of the video hitting her screen. She recognised the man, or maybe she only thought she did.
No matter how many times she had heard of cruel things, seeing them on screen was a whole lot different. The violence and horror unfolded before her eyes, each image etching itself into her mind with a chilling clarity. It wasn't just a story or a rumour anymore - it was stark reality, staring back at her with unflinching brutality.
Adriana couldn't tear her gaze away, transfixed by the grotesque spectacle playing out before her. The screams, the blood, the sheer senselessness of it all—it was like a nightmare come to life, searing itself into her consciousness with a merciless intensity.
In that moment, she felt a profound sense of disillusionment wash over her, the harsh truth of the world crashing down around her like a tidal wave. No amount of preparation could have braced her for this—the raw, unfiltered horror of humanity laid bare for all to see.
As the images flickered across the screen, Adriana couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of dread settle in the pit of her stomach. As if it was telling her this was all far from over.
Thud. Thudthudthud. A pause. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Adriana recognized the rhythmic knocks - it was Henry; morse code for AH - Adriana Henry, something he taught her the moment he had become her bodyguard.
“Yeah, okay.” She wasn’t going to argue with him now, instead, she shot a quick text to Aviv to tell her where she would be found, before leaving the room with her best friend.
As they moved through the corridors, the weight of uncertainty pressed down on her shoulders, each step as if a step closer towards reality, one she wanted to avoid. Then, amidst the silence, Yuliya's desperate cries shattered the calm, igniting a firestorm of panic within her.
It is only as she looked back towards the location of the voice when she saw him. Saw Aviv.
Without hesitation, Adriana lunged forward, her instincts driving her towards the source of the commotion—towards Aviv. But Henry's firm grip held her back, his strength a barrier against her frantic attempts to break free. Panic surged through her veins, her cries of anguish echoing down the corridor as she fought against his restraint.
"Aviv!" Her voice cracked with emotion, a desperate plea torn from the depths of her soul. Tears streamed down her cheeks, each sob a testament to the agony that gripped her heart. In that moment, she felt utterly powerless, her worst fears looming large in the forefront of her mind.
Now, it was not the Russian in the video, it was Aviv, vulnerable and helpless, each scene more terrifying than the last. She imagined him in the hands of the French, him being broken by the brutality of his captors. It was her worst fear, her worst nightmare coming true right before her eyes.
Adriana's desperation surged like a tidal wave, her instincts screaming at her to break free from Henry's grasp. She clawed at his hands, her nails digging into his skin with a fierce determination born of fear and anguish. With every ounce of strength she possessed, she fought against him, her muscles straining against his unyielding hold.
"Let me go!" she cried, her voice raw with emotion as she struggled against his grip. But Henry held fast, refusing to be shaken by her attempts to escape.
Adriana's heart hammered in her chest, her mind consumed by a single, overwhelming thought—Aviv. She had to get to him, had to ensure his safety at all costs. The mere thought of him in danger sent a surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins, lending her strength she didn't know she had.
But no matter how hard she fought, Henry's hold remained unbreakable. His resolve matched her own, his determination unwavering in the face of her desperate pleas. And as she continued to struggle against him, her cries growing more frantic with each passing moment, she couldn't help but feel a sense of despair wash over her.
In that moment, she was powerless—trapped in Henry's embrace, her heart torn between the fierce desire to protect Aviv and the crushing reality of her own helplessness. And as tears streamed down her cheeks, mingling with the sweat and blood that stained her skin, she knew that no matter how hard she fought, she couldn't do it alone.
“Aviv…”
In the end, as her struggles proved helpless and Henry's grip remained steadfast, Adriana found herself crumbling beneath the weight of her own sorrow. Tears streamed down her cheeks in torrents, her cries of anguish echoing through the corridor as she watched helplessly while the man she loved was taken from her.
Every fibre of her being screamed out in agony as she watched Aviv. It was a nightmare come to life, her worst fears realised before her very eyes, and yet she was powerless to stop it.
She felt shattered into a million pieces, each fragment a sharp reminder of torment he was going to have to endure. The pain was unbearable, a suffocating weight that threatened to crush her spirit beneath its crushing embrace.
As she was pulled away, her vision blurred with tears and her body wracked with sobs, Adriana felt as though her world were collapsing around her. In that moment of overwhelming despair, she was consumed by a sense of helplessness unlike anything she had ever known.
All she could do was watch in horror as Aviv was taken from her, her cries echoing into the void as she was dragged further and further away from him.
In that moment, she was broken—broken by the cruelty, broken by the brutality of the world, and broken by the unbearable pain of watching the man she loved being taken. And as she was dragged away, her heart shattered into a million irreparable pieces, leaving behind a complete emptiness.
