Chapter Three: Surviving the World.

The Breaking Point

~Ariana Cross~

The sun was sinking low by the time Mia and I finally reached the old racetrack through the longer back route. The place looked like an abandoned graveyard : cracked asphalt overgrown with weeds, rusted bleachers, and an eerie silence that pressed down on my chest. This was the track Mom used to bring us to when we were kids. Where Lena used to laugh and dream about driving fast.

“Ariana, please slow down,” Mia panted behind me. “You’re going to collapse before you even find her.”

But I couldn’t slow down. Panic clawed at my throat with every step. Every second without Lena felt like another failure.

We rounded the old pit lane, and there she was.

Lena sat curled up on the cracked concrete barrier near the starting line, knees pulled tight to her chest. She looked so small. Her face was pale, streaked with dried tears, and her shoulders trembled from the aftermath of another brutal Lupus flare.

“LENA!” I screamed, breaking into a desperate sprint.

Her head snapped up. For a split second, relief flashed across her face then it hardened into stubborn defiance.

I dropped to my knees in front of her, grabbing her shoulders. “What the hell were you thinking?! Running away from the hospital like that? Do you have any idea how scared I was?!”

Lena jerked away from me, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. “I don’t want to be there anymore, Ari! I’m so tired of the needles and the machines and the doctors telling me I’ll never be normal again. I just want to go home. I want to go back to school like everyone else!”

Her words hit me like a punch to the stomach. All the exhaustion, fear, and buried anger I’d been carrying for years rushed to the surface.

“You think I don’t want that for you?” My voice cracked as hot tears burned my eyes. “You think this is easy for me? Working three jobs until I can barely stand just to pay for your treatments? Watching you suffer every single day while I pretend everything is okay?”

Lena looked away, her lips trembling. “I didn’t ask you to do all this.”

“No, you didn’t,” I said, my voice rising as tears started falling freely. “But I’m all you have left, Lena! Mom is gone. Dad abandoned us for that manipulative witch and her daughter. It’s just us now. If I lose you…” My voice broke completely. “If I lose you, I have nothing. Nothing at all.”

Lena’s shoulders shook with heavy sobs. “I’m in so much pain all the time. The medicine makes me feel worse. I just wanted it to stop… even for one day.”

I pulled her into my arms, holding her as tightly as I could while we both cried. The wind whipped across the empty track, carrying faint memories of better days when Mom was still alive. We stayed like that for what felt like forever two broken sisters clinging to each other in the ruins of our old life.

Eventually, Lena’s sobs quieted into shaky breaths. “I’m scared, Ari.”

“I’m scared too,” I whispered, stroking her hair. “But we’re going back tonight. Together. I’ll call the hospital and arrange for home care. I swear I’m going to find a way to make this better. I’m not giving up on you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

When we finally pulled up to our rundown apartment building, my stomach dropped at the sight of a familiar figure waiting by the door.

Elias Carter, Mia’s older brother was leaning against the wall, looking worried. He had several bags in his hands: groceries, takeout, and what looked like medical supplies.

“Elias?” I said hoarsely as I helped Lena out of the car.

“I heard what happened from Mia,” he said gently, stepping forward. “I was really worried. I brought some food and a few things I thought you might need.”

Pride flared hot in my chest. “Elias, thank you… But we’re fine. I can take care of us.”

Mia shot me a frustrated look. “Ariana, stop. You’re exhausted. Lena needs to eat something decent tonight. Just accept the help for once.”

After a long, tense moment, I reluctantly nodded. I hated feeling like a burden, but seeing how tired Lena looked made me swallow my pride.

Inside our tiny apartment, Elias helped settle Lena on the couch. While Mia warmed up the food, Elias turned to me, his expression serious.

“You saw the chaos at the old track, right?” he asked quietly. “It was because of Lucien Vale. The drug scandal blew up today. They found banned substances in his locker. The media is calling him a cheat. His career might be over.”

I let out a bitter laugh as I sank into a chair, rubbing my aching temples. “Figures. That guy has always been cold as ice. Different. The way he looks at the world like everyone else is beneath him… it doesn’t surprise me at all if he’s been using something to stay on top. People like Lucien Vale think the rules don’t apply to them. Arrogant. Untouchable. Honestly, I hope they strip him of everything.”

Elias raised an eyebrow. “You sound like you’ve been paying attention to him.”

“Not really,” I muttered. “But you see his face everywhere. The so-called Ice King. If he really is doping… the world doesn’t need another rich asshole who thinks money and fame can buy whatever he wants.”

Mia glanced between us but stayed quiet. Lena, curled up on the couch, listened silently.