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Aria’s face burned from how many times she had wiped her tears. Even the soft fur of her coat stung like an open wound against her raw skin. Her fluffy white sleeves had now been soaked with tears and snot from her endless sobbing.
But Aria didn't care.
She could afford to replace her coat a million times over, if she really wanted to.
However, Wally could never be replaced.
There wasn't anyone in the world who could ever be as loyal as Wally was to Aria. And that was exactly what got him killed.
If I hadn't felt so bad from the motive, Wally wouldn't have left to get the medicine.
Then Rook wouldn’t have been able to kill him.
And then Wally would actually be laying here with me right now.
Aria sniffed. She hadn't slept alone in the lodge since after the first trial—Rui’s trial. She struggled to remember how long it had been since their death.
After Sylvian’s execution, Lyla had suggested that everyone acquire two roommates… Or something like that. Aria’s memories from around that time weren't the best.
From that moment onward, Aria, Wally and Lyla shared a bed together. It was nice. Two of your friends are there to hold you when you have a nightmare or share a warm blanket with you when you get cold in the night.
Though, Lyla fell victim to the killing game as well. She tried her hand at being a killer. However, fate assigned them the card of a victim.
Lyla…
I still have a hard time believing she actually tried to kill Bruno. They were so nice to me and everyone else so why would they do that?
Aria wiped her tears once more. Lyla was dead and Aria knew she would never get answers to her questions.
Lyla's trial was the last clear memory she had of Wally. That night the two had gathered their things from Lyla’s room and relocated to Aria’s.
Aria hadn't been in her own room since Rui’s death and Sylvian’s execution. Both were people she considered friends, so the return to her room with theirs nearby sent her crying a waterfall like she always does. But Wally was there. He held her until the tears finally stopped, comforting her until she felt better.
“I won't let anything bad happen to you, Aria.”
At the time, Aria just thought he was being sweet to make her feel better.
It's like when people say nice things to you because you're in a bad mood or something. The words are just to make you feel better. They don't really mean them.
Wally meant what he said.
Aria wished he didn't.
If Wally just cared a little less about her, he would be alive for Aria to say how much she cared about him.
After the night of Lyla’s trial, where Aria and Wally fell asleep in each other's arms, Aria’s memory was muddy like a pond. And everytime she tried to touch that pond it would ripple and further distort the image of what she was trying to look at.
Her entire experience with the hypnosis motive was like a dream. Then it turned into a nightmare.
Aria saw Wally hanging from the infirmary, flames surrounding his body. It was so clear in her mind. She perfectly remembered every second of it.
That was what immediately came to Aria’s mind when she thought of Wally. She could only vividly remember him in his death. Anything in his life was a fading memory that grew blurrier by the second.
“I would pay anything to see my friends again…” Aria croaked in a raspy voice. “And I would pay anything to see you, again, Wally.”
Aria brought her knees to her up to her chest and wrapped herself in the freezing blanket, not caring to change into her pajamas. She lied in bed all alone, eventually crying herself to exhaustion early the next morning.