TBATE: My One and Only

Chapter 12: No Longer Dyed in Grey Pt. 2

WARNING: Very angst-filled chapter

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The world can be very cruel.

And his world was literal hell. Seeing chaos was as normal as walking in a park.

To survive, he had to be cruel too.

He threw away his emotions and hardened his heart. He ignored the budding feelings he had for one of his childhood friends for the sake of his goal. He didn't need them if he wanted to get stronger. They were useless if it meant enemies could exploit such a weakness.

His heart became hollow, only filled with the flames of revenge and vengeance for the death of his mother figure. He was consumed by his desire for revenge that he closed off his heart and allied himself with the person who would eventually betray him.

Every time he grew strong, he became colder.

As time went on, the flames for revenge grew and intensified...

Too much. It caused him to brush off one of his friends' distressed warnings. He only saw the world through revenge-filled lenses.

He was blind to the ongoings in the dark, blind to the fear behind his friend's warnings and cries, blind to the betrayal that the one he considered his mentor would commit and the atrocities that would happen.

He was too consumed with his personal vendetta...

Her blood was on his hands.

He earned his hatred.

All for the sake of his vengeance... he lost two most important people in his life.

That was how King Grey lost Cecilia and Nico.

He failed to see the truth, and it cost him greatly. Like a puppet in strings, he was manipulated perfectly.

Why couldn't he just accept his friend's suggestion to run away so they could save the other... Would things have been different if he had opened his heart to them? Would they be able to be freed from the cursed world?

Grey wanted to protect and save people, yet he took more lives than he could save. His hands were dyed in the blood of millions, and he bore the sins of the atrocities he committed on his shoulder. What little emotions he showed slowly dyed like a dwindling fire...

He drowned himself in blood, violence, and chaos, seeking retribution for the one who betrayed him.

Yet even when he accomplished his goals, Grey felt empty.

No glee or satisfaction.

The feeling was completely empty.

He had obtained his stupid revenge, but was the cost he had to pay worth it?

~~~~~~

Arthur Leywin stared at the scene playing before his eyes with a lifeless gaze. His azure orbs glared at the memory being shown to him with bitterness, guilt, and regret.

Why...? Out of all the dreams he had to have... Why did it have to be this?! The cursed memories of his past life as a ruthless and cold king... The memories of the pain he felt when he lost the ones he held dear to his heart... Those memories played in front of him like a fucking movie.

His heart ached as he gritted his teeth, his nails digging through his palm as red dripped.

It was too much. He couldn't forget the painful memories, but watching his regrets was just... he felt like a dagger ran through his chest.