The pain continued without stop, but somehow he remained alive there. He stayed in the scene, looking at what was happening. This memory was gruesome, yet he had no recollection of it.
"Aren, Aren."
Kara's voice suddenly got through to Aren and snapped him back to reality. Looking at her sitting beside him, a small amount of sweat formed on his face.
He took a few seconds to get himself back and then spoke, "Kira, there is a me before this, Aren before the Shadow, and there is a past I am running from that I can't share.
The only path I see to escaping that past is for me to keep getting stronger, for me to keep fighting, keep growing. I know you don't like the fact that I am always in harm's way, but that's who I am now, facing my own struggles one punch at a time." He said and then went silent. Then he turned to look at her, staring right into her eyes.
