The sounds of gunshots ring in my ears as I run as far away as I can from my house. I can't look back, no matter what. If I hesitate for even a second, I'll be dead. I'm sure they've realized that I've escaped their grasp, it's only a matter of time. 

I knew they were coming but I didn't think it would be so soon. I thought I still had time. "Damn, I didn't think they would come for me so quickly...If only my father had listened..." 

I continue running when suddenly I'm quickly pulled into an alleyway. I quickly kick them and turn around facing them, my gun pointed at their forehead. 

I focus my attention on the figure, and I start to tremble, "You..." 

Thoma puts his hands up in surrender and Ayaka looks at me expressionlessly. 

"Drop the gun. Back down (y/n)." Her words were laced with boredom and disinterest. 

My hands tremble as I keep it pointed straight at Thomas' head, fighting back the incoming wave of tears, "N-no! You traitor! Both of you. But especially you Thoma. How could you-" I choke back my tears as my emotions start to cloud my judgment. 

"Come with us, we can run away together," Thoma says with a gentle warm smile. 

"Go with you? Never." How could I go with him? He's a traitor. 

The one I counted on more than anyone else in the world. 

My best friend.

My world.

My love. 

And he threw it away for a chance to be free. He left me to fend for myself. He told them my location. 

"Why should I go with you? You left me to die at the hands of the fatui. Do you know what they did to me? What pain I had to endure?" 

I look at him through blurry eyes filled with tears, my gun still firmly pointed at his head, "They tortured me. Experimented on me. You- you promised me that you would always be by my side after we escaped." 

Ayaka chimes in, "Grow up. We all have to fight our own battles; you can't expect anyone to fight them for you. Or with you. In this life, there's no such thing as friends. Only means to an end." 

"(y/n), please, I really didn't want to leave you, I-" 

"Save it. You weren't there for the beatings. The backlashes, the torture. The loneliness. The hopelessness. Instead of taking me with you, you ran away by yourself. And when I got out to look for you? You told them where I lived. You knew I'd be back. Do you want to know how I knew you tipped them off? I can see it. I can see past memories by touching things." 

His eyes widen and he looks me up and down, "But how is that possible? You don't have a vision." 

"What do you think the experiments were for?" 

His eyes widen as realization dawns on him, and I scoff, "But looks like the "great archons" blessed you with one. Tch. At least you're not seen as unclean. No one will even look at me with these bandages around my hands and arms. They know who I- they know what I am. Unclean." 

I can see the tears in his eyes start to gather up and I lower my gun slightly down to his chest, "You don't understand...that wasn't me. I didn't have a choice." 

His voice trembles and he take a step closer, the barrel of my gun touching his chest, he gets on his hands and knees and starts shaking, "Please, shoot me if you want. I deserve it for abandoning you...but I never had a choice." 

I watch him carefully as splatters of water drip onto the pavement, "They were mind-controlling me, like a truth serum. They wanted to know about your past and the kind of person you are, since I refused to oblige, they hit me, beat me, tortured me. The pain was unbearable. They even promised me that I could be released if I told them where you lived. They wanted to find papers, anything about you that would give them something. I refused so they forced me to take it." 

He slows down and catches his breath and stands up carefully, he holds my hand with the gun and latches onto the trigger, "Do it."

Tears streak down my cheeks as I stand before the only person I've ever loved, "I said do it! You want me dead, so do it! Pull the trigger!" 

My hands shake violently and I drop the gun on the ground and quickly hug Thoma. He holds me in his arms and rakes his fingers gently through my hair, "I promise, I would never do something intentionally to hurt you. I wanted to look for help as soon as I got out but I didn't have enough time." 

He pauses and I feel his tears dropping down into my hair like gentle dew drops, "I promise I'll protect you no matter what." 

He holds out his arms and holds me steadily in place and I can see the redness in his eyes. He starts to lean in closer to my face, "Thoma what are you-" 

Before I can protest he kisses me firmly, hungry like we're never going to see each other again. 

"I promise...I'll protect you. Always. I love you." 

My eyes widen and I look up at him smiling through my tears, "I love you too."