The King's Dark Obsession

Chapter 37

Both of them rode through the city as silently as the surroundings. Their pace was slow but their eyes were sharp. She was focused on her surroundings and he was focused on her.

'One face...two completely opposite personalities.' He thought.

One was a true bitch to the core and the other one was nothing but the remainder of his human past filled with naivety.

The desire, the unbottling urge to ruin has been never felt by him since dynasties.

There was no sympathy or empathy for her.

He was solely here to ruin this kingdom but after seeing the face of his past destructor, the one who ruined him beyond recognition, a fire that burned inside him years ago but was gradually blown off was now fuming in huge flames.

A scream coming from the city borders had her flinching as she abruptly halted on her horse. Before she knew it, she was riding towards the scream with him following behind her. They came to an abrupt halt as her horse neighed. 

Sasha's wide eyes stared at a tall figure hidden in the darkness of the trees and right before his foot lay a few dead bodies of guards and other citizens. Her hands trembled in rage as she dismounted her horse, her wound throbbing due to her aggressive movements. She unsheathed her sword and pointed it at him while taking slow steps in his direction.

"You've been caught." 

"Surrender"

Sasha was worried that he might run away so she ran up to him and put her sword right on the side of his neck. What bothered her was that he didn't run. Her eyes traveled down to the dead bodies and she swallowed when she saw that dagger in his hand.

It was him.

The dagger was clean but he was still holding it.

Her heart was beating so fast to the point she started thinking that she might lose. His back looked familiar and the soft scent coming from him had her tensing even more as she tightened her hold on the sword.

"Throw t-the dagger and turn around." She said, sternly and without any objection, he did as he was told and once he turned around it was as if the ground beneath her feet was swept away and she was falling into the chaos of darkness.

"At-Atlas." She breathed. Her eyes went red in horror as her lips trembled. He had blood all over his lips and chin, and his white-like jade clothes were now drenched in blood but his eyes...they were crying as if begging. He parted his lips but words wouldn't come out of his mouth. He seemed shocked just as she was.

"What a-are yo---"

"You traitor."

Atlas was aggressively thrown to the dusty ground covered with rusty leaves by Luan.

"NO, STOP!" Sasha yelled at the top of her lungs when Luan was about to kill Atlas. She immediately walked up to them and pushed Luan away. Atlas was kneeling on the floor with his eyes solely fixed on hers.

Why wasn't he saying something in his defense?

Why...was he looking at her as if begging?

Why was he crying?

Luan stepped back and walked towards the dead bodies.

Although she saw it from her eyes, she still leaned down towards him.

"Are yo-you really the killer? Di-Did you sta-stabbed me?" She asked in a wavering voice as tears blurred her sight. Now, when she looked at it, he looked exactly like the description Luan told them about the killer.

Maybe, that was why the murder was still happening even when the safety of the city was doubled.

When he didn't answer, her lips trembled.

"W-Why aren't you answering?" She asked and flinched soon after. Her head snapped towards Luan and he was on the ground, holding an old lady in his arms as he cried. The same old lady he helped every day. The way he was crying, had her pupils dilating.

What was happening?

Her mind went numb as she walked up to Luan and grabbed his shoulder, telling him to calm down. He cried for a while before standing up. He sniffled and turned to face her but his eyes widened as he stared behind her.

"Watch out." 

Before she knew it, she was pushed forward by Luan as she fell down on her fours. A slashing and spurting sound came from behind her and once she turned around to look, it was as if everything went hazy around her. Her body went numb and her ears began to ring as her wide horrified eyes stared at the scene before her.

Luan slashed Atlas' neck blood splurts out of his neck like a fountain and bathed him in his own blood. He fell down on his knees, he was holding a knife in his hand and was not in the same position she left him, indicating he was about to attack her as he stared at her horrified. The eyes that used to sparkle with love and desire were now dead.

Sasha covered her mouth with her trembling hands as warm tears began to kiss her rosy cheeks. He fell down and his body went completely limp with a few jerks.

His wide eyes stared at her, as a pearly tear trickled down from the side of his nose. She couldn't believe it. This must be a nightmare, it has to be. She couldn't believe his betrayal, she couldn't believe his death when he was lying lifelessly right in front of her eyes.

Her brother...

Leo...

Atlas was his best friend.

He would refuse all of this.

He would completely break down.

"No...No." She immediately stood up on her trembling legs and rushed up to Atlas. She was in so much mental pain that she didn't notice Luan's expressions or the stance he was standing in, completely opposite to his cheerful personality.

She immediately picked him up in her arms and hugged him while crying and wailing. Luan stared at them with a blank look. This before him was the same scene being replayed from several years ago. Just like this, Grace was in his arms, he was wailing for her like a fool even though she betrayed him.

It was being replayed but this time...by him.

He manipulated Atlas' body to his wish and that man was completely unaware, died an unfair death but...he couldn't afford the sparkles in her eyes for someone else. Those dead hazel eyes would seem better as long as they possessed sparkle for someone else other than him.

The scene before him for some reason made his unbeatable heart throb as his eyes widened. He put his hand on his chest and abruptly turned around. 'Fuck, hahaha, am I feeling emotions? Fuck no.' He thought.

He shook his head and turned towards her, bending down beside them, he put his hand on her shoulder, making a puppy sad face as he stared at her with teary eyes.

"I'm sorry if I didn't do that, he would have killed you. That was the only thing that came to my mind." He said but Sasha didn't answer him, she was too wounded. She wanted Atlas' explanation. Why did he do that when he loved his people so much? Got so many scars for them. There must be a reason behind it, he wouldn't do it without a reason. 

She wailed and cried.

Luan closed Atla's wide eyes with his hand as he watched how she cried for him. Something was wrong with him...he wasn't liking it. He would like to see her cry but under him and not like this. No, these tears were knocking him out of his path.

He looked away from her and stood up.

She cried until tears couldn't come out anymore until her throat went parched and her voice became hoarse.