HELLO, RHAYADER

The roar of the river rapids grew louder as they quickly approached the edge of the water with their breaths leaving in ragged huffs of exhaustion. The surging current churned up white frothy waves that crashed against the rocky banks, its icy tendrils reaching out to greet them. The sun glinted off the tumultuous surface, casting an almost hypnotic shimmer across the water.

Giovanni glanced over at his companion, his face etched with a similar blend of unease as trails of sweat kissed the sides of his face, the few strands of his white hair matted down against his forehead. With his hands resting on his knees, he desperately swallowed a deep breath to repay the oxygen debt of his body. His lungs burned from the effort.

"This looks dangerous," he heaved apprehensively, his eyes fixed on the treacherous rapids ahead. He could feel the energy of the water just by looking at it, the sheer force of nature that threatened to swallow them whole.

Luca nodded wordlessly and the look on his face made it difficult not to imagine the thoughts running through his head.

"The road is just up ahead," he replied after pressing his docket against his chest protectively. "We need to cross to the other side and maybe wave down a car passing by. If I had my phone, I could call one of my friends to get us, but I left all my shit in the car that exploded. Fucking Felix, that shit cunt!"

Beside him, Luca rolled his eyes at his mild temper tantrum before taking a deep breath. Then he carefully descended the steep embankment, his feet slightly slipping on the wet rocks. When he reached the edge, he paused momentarily, surveying the churning current.

"Do you want me to go in first?" he reluctantly offered after noticing his hesitance.

"Follow closely behind me and watch your step."

Luca gingerly stepped into the icy water, his muscles tensing as the powerful current tugged at his legs. Inch by inch, he made his way across which seemed awfully easy for him and when he eventually reached the shore, he collapsed on the ground. Then he turned around to check on him.

"Your turn, mortal."

After obscuring the docket beneath his tucked in shirt, he stepped forward and stood at the edge of the water. The roaring rapids dared him to enter their treacherous throngs and after mentally preparing himself, he dipped into the icy water, his muscles seizing up the same way they did for Luca. He gripped a nearby mossy rock sticking out of the river, using it to steady himself as his feet navigated the uneven terrain.

With the river rushing by below, he dared not lose his footing. The sound of the crashing waves filled his ears, drowning out all other sounds save for the crunch of gravel underneath his steps. Slowly, methodically, he closed the distance between himself and Luca, one careful footfall after another.

As he approached the opposite shore, a massive wave suddenly surged towards him, catching him off guard and almost knocking him over. He struggled to keep his balance as the force of the water began to pull him downstream. Frantically looking around for help, he spotted Luca grabbing a sturdy branch and quickly extending it towards him.

"Grab on!"

Despite his trembling fingers, he managed to secure a grip on the branch, feeling the rough texture of the dead leaves as he regained his footing.

With a final push, he made it to the opposite bank, collapsing next to Luca, soaked and out of breath. They lay there for several minutes.

"I don't know what was more harrowing," he started with a shaky laugh. "That or crossing the ravine."

"Probably this," another voice responded, causing the lighthearted nature to dissipate immediately.

A shadow covered the both of them.

"Get up, both of you." The words were laced with an unwavering authority, accompanied by the unmistakable sight of a weapon pointed in their direction.

Exchanging a brief, cautious glance, they both slowly rose to their feet with deliberate movement. Tension hung thick in the air, wrapping around them like a heavy, unyielding fog. He dared not make any sudden movements that might provoke her to do something he would deem regrettable. His gaze remained fixed on her dark, stormy grey eyes past the dark locks fluttering in the wind, attempting to gauge her next move.

After tilting her head to gesture for them to step back, her grip on the weapon tightened and with an unreadable expression on her face, she immediately demanded, "The docket."

"Hello, Rhayader."

A shadow danced across her olive skin and she pressed her lips into a thin line, blinking at him past the barrel of the cool metal in her steady hand. "Long time no see, Gino."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Has it been that long? I did just see you a few nights ago, remember? When you lured me out to that bar."

"Right," she muttered with an amused smile curling onto the corner of her mouth. "We should hang out more."

"I don't know. It might be hard to do so after finding out that you have become the personal lapdog of the man who wants to kill me."

With a bit of a simper, she said, "I don't see why that would stop us from grabbing a cup of coffee with each other once in a while."

"Well, the last time we went out for drinks you spiked my alcohol and I nearly died to your blade so excuse me if I'm a bit hesitant to have any of my drinks around you ever again."

"Uh-huh."

He stepped forward, hands raising in surrender when she moved the gun towards him warningly, the hard glint in her eyes speaking volumes. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"No?" She arched one eyebrow, the gun unwavering. "Where did you think I'd be, Gino? Tucked away, forgotten?" A mirthless laugh escaped her lips. "You should know better than that."

The air between them crackled with an energy of betrayal, a shattered trust that hung in the balance which seemed ready to explode at the slightest provocation. Across the plane, their eyes met, each brimming with a torrent of mixed emotions. The silence was deafening, punctuated only by the faint sound of their breathing and the waves crashing in the river beside them.

Tilting her head to the side, she caught the person who was quietly standing behind him watching their interaction. After fluttering her eyes perplexed, her grin widened mischievously. "Who is he? I don't think I ever saw him around your little posse of former street kids. Another one of your sympathy recruits?"

"How is Nana?" he mused instead of responding to her question, belying the charged energy between them.

Her smug expression dropped and the spark of mischief in her eyes was visibly snuffed out in an instant. She hesitated, her lips parting as if to throw a casual quip at him, then closing again as she swallowed, her throat working. "Do you care?"

"You know I do."

The usually quick-witted, silver-tongued woman seemed uncharacteristically at a loss for words, her composure cracking under the weight of his probing question. He watched in fascination as the mask she so carefully curated began to slowly slip. Her brow furrowed, lips pressing into a thin line. For a fleeting moment, he glimpsed the vulnerability that lay beneath the surface of her façade—a primal emotion that she kept meticulously guarded.

The silence stretched, thick and oppressive. Her finger tightened on the trigger and he could almost see the wheels turning in her mind, weighing her options, calculating her next move. Something clearly gave her pause. He searched her face, seeking any sign of the girl he once knew, the one he spent his childhood around.

Finally, she drew a shaky breath and the gun wavered in her hands. "Nana is…" she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "Her Alzheimer's is getting worse day by day."

He tried to encourage her to continue talking with his eyes.

"The last time I went to visit her, she called me by my mother's name. For the first few seconds, I just sat there in confusion, wondering why she called me that until I realised why she did it. She then started talking about things from her childhood with me. I had no idea what to do. Was I to correct her and tell her that it was me, her granddaughter or simply let her think I was my mother?"

His eyes shone with sympathy and his voice barely above a whisper, he murmured, "I'm sorry I wasn't there with you."

Her eyes hardened with defiance as she faced him and with her voice laced with an edge, she mused, "Why would you be sorry about that?"

His gaze faltered, the weight of guilt etched on his features. "She's my grandma too, Rhay."

"Why did that never cross your mind when you up and left Gwalia?" she voiced, her words dripping with accusation. Clenching the weapon in her hand, she struggled to contain the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. "You abandoned her, Gino. You abandoned us all."