Redemption in a war

Chapter 5: History

"No...no! Please sir, please! I didn't do anything! What did I do wrong!? I'm innocent!!"

"I know you are kid, but orders are orders." He tried to hide his shaky voice with a tone of seriousness, unsure if it worked or not.

"Please sir! Please listen, I!-"

A loud shot rang out through the demolished house, quickly silencing the young child by running a bullet through it's delicate heart, soaking it's shirt in their innocent blood.

Even in pure silence, the shrill cry of the child kept echoing in his mind, making him drop to his knees as his legs gave out from pure shock and then..

He himself cried out in pure emotional pain.

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Nexus woke up with a start, suddenly sitting up in his bed, tears streaking his face, the cries of the child finally faded out.

He wiped away the tears with his hand as he tried to push the memory far away into the back of his mind where it wouldn't plague his everyday thoughts.

But it was becoming increasingly difficult to forget about what he's done as his mind apparently still hasn't moved on from the childs pleas and images of blood soaked clothes.

He can't deal with this alone anymore..he needs to talk to someone, someone who may understand and won't instantly blow his head off..

Dionus? Don't know him long enough..

Rax? Would first beat the shit out of him and then patch him up..

Onyx it is then.

With that decision, Nexus got up, cleaned his face, put on his armour and left his quarters.

It was quite early so perhaps Onyx was still in his quarters, so that's where he went.

Nexus finally arrived and took a deep breath, knowing he needs some help he didn't give it a second thought, knocking on Onyx's door.

"Onyx? A-are you in there?"

'Stop sounding so nervous Nexus! You got this!' he thought.

"Nexus? You can come in if you want to." came the muffled response of his leader.

'I ain't got this..'

But, there was no going back now..if he were to leave now, that would be very awkward.

So he went in, totally uncertain and shivering as if naked in the arctic.

Onyx was comfortably sitting on his bed, reading something on a tablet. probably a report.

"I..I hope I'm not disturbing you or anything, sir."

"It seems that something is troubling you, please, drop the formality, I want to help you not just as a leader but as a friend aswell."

"Alright then..but still, I hope I'm not bothering."

"Don't worry, you're not and even if I was busy, your mental health would still come first as I care deeply about the well-being of my friends," Onyx patted the empty space next to him.
"Please, sit with me and tell me what troubles you, I'll try to help the best I can."

Nexus slowly and uncomfortably sat down next to Onyx but relaxed a little at the warm proximity of Onyx.

He took a very deep breath, and confessed.
"I..," he felt like crying right then and there but pulled himself together.
"I did something very bad a long while ago, which haunts me till this very day.."