The questions twisted in Tony's mind like a restless flame. Should he really open up to Gabby? Could he trust her enough? Or was this just going to make things worse? He struggled to find the right words, but finally, he began, his voice low and steady.
"Okay… so it started like this," he said, glancing down at his trembling hands before looking back up. "I came here to find my sister. Yeah, Elsie. And I've already done that. But there's more. I'm on this journey, like a mission. I was sent here by the father of the two(Juju), the one they said is missing. He sent me here for something important. I don't even know why he chose me to do it, but maybe that's just how it had to be."
Tony paused, running a hand through his hair, his eyes shifting around as if he was searching for answers in the empty air.
"I came here to help the two of them, Yamin and Jasmine. But now… it feels like everything is turning upside down. Instead of helping them, it feels like I'm running away. Like I'm drifting further and further from them. We're supposed to be connected, but now it feels like we're on opposite sides. And I don't understand it."
His hands shook slightly, and he looked down, feeling small and lost.
"I don't know if this mission was meant to bring me closer to them, or to push me away so they could find something on their own. I can't even tell if it's something good or something terrible. Maybe I'm here to help people… or maybe I'm here to hurt them without even knowing it. I just… I don't know."
His voice cracked at the end, and for a moment, the strong and determined Tony looked like a boy who had been dropped into a world too heavy for him to hold.
Gabby didn't speak right away. She just stood there, her eyes on him, watching every tremor in his voice and every flicker in his expression. When he finally fell silent, she took a deep breath and started, her voice low and thoughtful."Okay… so you met the father of the two, Juju. You met him in your world and he told you to come here on some mission," she repeated slowly, almost to herself, trying to piece it all together.She shook her head then, her face tightening with old pain and anger. Her eyes looked distant for a moment before she continued.
"Yeah… he's the same man who approved my hanging. He wanted them to hang me without a single piece of proof. He didn't even have evidence, but because he was so respected in the council, they accepted it. I was supposed to be hanged in a few days… but I escaped. I ran for my life."
Gabby paused, her voice trembling as she tried to keep her emotions from spilling over. Her fingers curled slightly at her sides.
"I think he has a twisted mindset, even though people call him the most trusted man in the council," she said, her voice bitter now.
"Why do you say that?" Tony asked softly, leaning forward, his eyes searching hers as if he might find some hidden truth there.
Gabby dropped her gaze to the ground. Silence stretched between them for a few seconds that felt like forever. Then she slowly lifted her head again, her voice softer, almost a whisper.
"You saw the mark, right? The one on my back near my shoulder?" she asked, her hand unconsciously drifting toward it. "I've read about that symbol. My mother taught me about it. She told me it's the mark of a true descendant from the royal bloodline of the Majhis people. I think… I think he wanted to kill me to wipe out the bloodline completely. But thank goodness… I escaped."
A shiver ran through her as she said it, her fingers brushing lightly over her shoulder as if to confirm the mark was still there.Tony watched her, his mind heavy with questions and tangled emotions.
He finally spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "Answer me honestly. Do you hate the two, Jasmine and Yamin?"
Gabby looked away again, her expression tight with pain.
"I don't," she said, her voice shaking. "But they do. Their ancestors destroyed mine, ruined their land, left us with nothing. I don't hate her for the blood she carries. But on the other side… they are hunting me, trying to destroy my image, saying I tried to assassinate the king."
She paused, her chest rising and falling heavily. Then she looked back at Tony, her voice even lower.
"Which I did not," she whispered.
Tony's eyes narrowed slightly. Slowly, he felt the pieces falling into place. Everything he (Juju) had warned her about, everything he had said, it was starting to make sense.
"You know," he said slowly, "the first time I met you, you told me to stay back. You warned me about selling you to them. When you said 'them,' did you mean the council and the two?"Gabby nodded in silence, not meeting his eyes.
"They accused you of that?" Tony pressed, his voice full of disbelief and hurt.
"Yeah," she replied quietly.
"But how?" Tony asked again, his voice rising slightly. Then he leaned closer, his words softer and almost gentle, like he was speaking from a place deeper than he realized.
"Are you really the person they say you are?" he asked, his tone almost tender, the words slipping out like a secret confession.
Gabby turned her head away quickly. "I guess… I should get something ready," she mumbled, not wanting to answer, her voice distant.
She stood up and took a step, trying to walk away.
But Tony moved on instinct. He stood too, quickly reaching out to grab her hand, stopping her in her tracks.
She froze, her breath caught in her throat.
Tony stepped closer, so close that their faces were just an inch apart. His heart thundered in his chest, and he felt her warmth against him. The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in that moment.
He looked straight into her eyes. She looked back at him, wide-eyed, her lips slightly parted, as if words were right there but refused to come out. Her heart pounded so loud she thought he might hear it.
Tony didn't move. He just kept staring, holding her hand gently but firmly, as if afraid she might disappear if he let go.
Gabby's thoughts spun wildly. She didn't know if she should pull away or move even closer. But she couldn't look away from him. There was something in his eyes, something that made her feel like she wasn't alone anymore, like someone finally saw her for who she truly was.
And in that silent space between them, something unspoken but powerful connected them, something neither of them fully understood yet ; but both felt deeply.
Just then, a soft sound echoed at the entrance.
Skyler stood there in the cave apartment doorway, her eyes wide as she took in the scene. She cleared her throat loudly, breaking the moment like a sharp blade through glass.
Tony and Gabby froze, their hands still locked, faces inches apart, both of them suddenly pulled back into reality.
.... Oooh.....