When Plans Go Out the Window (Literally)

Aria glanced at the woman, tilting her head with a faint smirk.

"So, Miss Midnight Run, what exactly was your genius plan to get out?"

The woman, draped in silk that screamed luxury gone rogue, glanced nervously at the stall door as if hearing invisible footsteps. Her fingers fiddled, taking a shaky breath.

"I was… going to jump out the window."

Aria's eyebrows arched.

"I know. I saw your attempt at the classic freefall into oblivion. Love it. Then what? Hope for a well-placed haystack?"

"No. I'd stick to the shadowed parts of the palace wall. Guards don't watch there as closely."

"Mm-hmm. And this daring route leads to…?"

"There's an old drain by the boundary wall. It connects to the forest and, eventually, to the mouth of a hidden tunnel. He's waiting at the end."

Aria's smirk faltered for a split second.

Seriously? Oh, this just got interesting.

"Really? A drain? Surely, romantic. Nothing says, 'sweep me off my feet' like sewage."

The woman flushed but didn't argue, because why would she?

Aria sighed, pushing off the door.

"Fine. We'll play your little game. But here's the deal: no noise, no hesitation. If you trip, I'm NOT carrying you."

The woman nodded rapidly, clutch trembling in her lap.

Aria's eyes flicked to the glittering bag.

"Speaking of, lose the shiny liability. It's not exactly stealth chic. Ditch anything that could slow you down. You'll need to move fast."

The woman hesitated, then unclasped it, spilling its contents onto the shiny white floor.

Out tumbled a compact mirror, blood-red lipstick, a sleek lighter, a black folding knife with intricate gold carvings, and—oh, the pièce de résistance—an ID card marked boldly with PARAMOUR.

Aria snorted, swiping the card.

"ID, huh? I don't think you need this anymore, do you?"

"NO."

Without hesitation, Aria flushed it down the toilet with a flourish, the faint gurgle punctuating her point. The knife, though—she flicked it open, inspecting the blade with a low whistle.

"Nice. And the lighter?"

She clicked it. A tiny flame danced to life.

"Even better. Do you always travel with a survival kit? Wait, how'd you even get these past the security?" 

The woman's lips curled into a faint smile.

"Didn't exactly bring it with me. I stole it."

Aria paused, genuinely impressed.

"Well, aren't you full of surprises?"

Her gaze then dropped to the sky-high heels the woman had thrown at her earlier. 

"Yeah, no. Lose those witchy shoes. We're going barefoot."

"Barefoot? Do you have any idea how many germs—"

"Not as many as the guards who, by the way, will catch us if they hear your stilettos clacking like a drunk woodpecker. Your call."

With a resigned groan, the woman dropped off her heels, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like a curse.

Aria grinned, tucking the knife into her thigh strap.

"Atta girl. Now, let's make him regret leaving you to play sewer rat."

The stall door shut with a soft click, and Aria leaned against it for a heartbeat, scanning the polished space like she expected a trapdoor to materialize.

No such luck.

Her gaze flicked to the window—a manageable eight-foot drop—and then to the palace guards in the distance, just now trudging away from their checkpoint.

Shift change. Lovely.

She pushed up onto the windowsill, the hem of her dress bunched in one fist, balancing precariously on the edge. A quick glance at the trembling woman behind her, and she rolled her eyes.

As if this wasn't HER idea.

"Alright, I'm going first. When I give you the signal, you follow. STICK CLOSE. And for the love of all that's HOLY, NO heroics. I'm not in the mood for a rescue mission tonight Well, I'm on ONE right now. Anyway, you got it?"

The woman nodded, though it looked more like a bobblehead on the verge of collapse.

With a quick, silent breath, Aria dropped, landing in a low crouch. The earth was soft. For once, luck seemed on her side—thorny bushes close enough to hide them but not enough to require a medic. She straightened, scanned the area, and waved her hand.

"Your turn."

Amber eyes darted to the guards, then back to Aria. 

"Now Unless YOU want to star in the guards' bedtime stories."

The woman sucked in a shaky breath, swung her legs out, eyes shut tight, and let gravity do the rest. Aria caught her just in time to stop what would've been a faceplant in the dirt. For god's sake, she was pregnant. Aria quickly steadied her, whispering:

"See? Easy. Now, let's move before someone notices we're not where we're supposed to be."

The woman nodded and, together, they ducked behind the shrubbery, moving in a half-crouch that Aria's thighs immediately hated. Leaves scratched at her skin, and every crunch of the underbrush sounded louder than a trumpet solo. Their breaths came out short from the awkward waddle.

"Remind me, why did I agree to this?"

The woman, limping slightly, glanced back with a sheepish look.

"You said something about 'breaking rules.'"

"Ah, right. My fatal flaw."

By the time they reached the thick iron drain cover, Aria was cursing every single life choice that had led her to this moment. The cover was half-buried in moss, its edges caked with years of dirt and grime. She knelt, brushing aside the muck with quick, irritated swipes. Her palms pressed against the cold, unforgiving metal, and she shoved with all her weight.

"You've got to be kidding me."

The thing didn't budge. Not an inch.

She shifted her grip, fingers straining for better leverage, and tried again. Her arms trembled under the effort, a burning ache spreading up to her shoulders. Her knees dug into the rough ground, but she ignored the sting. Behind her, the woman whispered something unintelligible, panic lacing her tone.

"Do me a favor," Aria hissed through clenched teeth, "and maybe don't talk while I'm trying to unearth a piece of the planet."

With a low growl, she adjusted her position, planting her feet firmly against the earth.

One last push.

Every muscle screamed in protest as she poured everything into it.

Finally, with a gut-wrenching scrape, the cover shifted. She shoved harder, and it slid aside with a reluctant groan, the sound loud enough to set her teeth on edge.

Breathing hard, Aria wiped a forearm across her brow, smearing dirt across her skin. She turned to the woman, who was watching with wide, expectant eyes.

"Well? Go on. Unless you'd like me to carry you down, too."

The woman climbed down the slick cold ladder, her bare feet finding the metal steps with hesitant precision. Aria followed, pulling the cover back into place, plunging it into the damp darkness.

The smell hit first—stale water and something she didn't want to identify, the faint trickle of water echoing through the darkness.

Cold, stagnant, murky water splashed at their ankles as they hit the bottom of the drain.

Soon, Aria flicked the lighter, the small flame casting an orange glow over the tunnel walls, revealing streaks of algae and years of neglect.

"Alright. Which way?"

The woman pointed to the right.

"Let's hope your sense of direction's better than your sense of timing."

The tunnel echoed with every squelch of their footsteps through the ankle-deep muck. 

After what felt like hours but was probably fifteen minutes, they reached another ladder, this one leading to another cover overhead. The woman stopped and pointed.

"That's the way out."

Aria tucked the lighter away and climbed up, her legs screaming in protest. She braced herself and shoved at the rusted metal with her shoulder.

Nothing. It didn't budge.

"You need help?" 

Aria barked a laugh.

"Oh, sure. Let's team lift a two-hundred-pound slab while standing on a ladder. That'll end well."

With one final, determined shove, the cover shifted, scraping loudly as it slid aside. Cool air rushed in, and Aria climbed out, pulling the woman up with one arm.

Later, she set the cover back in place as quietly as possible.

"Alright, where—"

The words died on her lips. Footsteps. Fast, sharp, and way too close for comfort.

Aria stiffened, her hand instinctively going to the knife on her thigh.

The woman's breath hitched, her wide eyes darting toward her for direction.

Without hesitation, Aria's arm shot out like a viper, yanking the woman down behind the thick, gnarled trunk of a tree. The bark scraped her palm, but she didn't flinch. Instead, her glare could've cut glass as she pressed a finger to her lips in a sharp "shh."

The forest around them felt alive with the approaching voices—deep, gruff murmurs woven with the crunch of boots on dried leaves. A burst of laughter rolled through the quiet night, the kind that set Aria's teeth on edge. She tilted her head, listening intently.

Three sets of footsteps, maybe four.

Definitely soldiers.

Her fingers tightened around the knife in her hand as she edged her face around the tree trunk.

A quick glance confirmed it: three Kherosi soldiers, their sleek black batons dangling at their sides. They couldn't have been older than twenty, their uniforms too crisp, their movements awkwardly unpolished.

Newbies on patrol. Perfect.

If they kept on their route back to the city, this would be easy. No mess, no noise, just—

"AHH!!!"

The scream was loud enough to wake the dead.

Aria's eyes shot wide, her pulse kicking up a notch as she snapped her head toward the woman, her jaw clenched, whispering harshly.

"Are YOU serious right now?"

The woman beside her looked like she'd seen a ghost—or worse. She was clutching Aria's arm with a grip strong enough to cut circulation, her other hand pointing at something writhing in the underbrush.

"P-p-p-python!"

Aria followed her gaze. A small snake—not even venomous by the look of it—slithered lazily over some dry leaves. She let out a slow, measured breath, and closed her eyes, stifling an annoyed groan.

"I can see that, you idiot."

The woman whimpered, her eyes glued to the snake----like it might suddenly sprout wings and attack her.

"GET A GRIP. It's not even big enough to trip over!"

Aria shook off the death grip. But the damage was already done.

The forest had gone silent. Too silent.

And she didn't need to look to know if the soldiers had heard. 

Because, just as she turned back, three black electric batons crackled to life, all aimed at her, and every bit of color vanished from her face like water through a sieve. 

This was about to get messy.