𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍

CHAPTER 24

The procedure had ended, leaving Lia and Bucky burdened with the weight of innumerable traumatic recollections. They sat in the dimly lit lab, their minds reeling from the flood of recovered memories. Shuri approached them with a compassionate expression. "You've both been incredibly brave," she said softly. "But you need to rest now. Processing these memories will take time." Bucky nodded numbly, his hand trembling as he reached for Lia's. She clung to him, drawing what little comfort she could from his presence. Together, they stood and followed Shuri out of the lab, the silence between them thick with shared pain.

As they walked back to their rooms, the corridors of the palace seemed to stretch endlessly. The once grand and beautiful surroundings now felt oppressive under the weight of their newfound knowledge. "I can't believe it," Bucky finally murmured, his voice breaking the silence. "I knew it was bad, but seeing everything so clearly... It's like a nightmare I can't wake up from." Lia nodded, her eyes fixed on the ground. "What we did, what they made us do... It's beyond anything I could have imagined."

They reached their rooms, but neither made a move to enter. Instead, they stood in the hallway, the reality of their past hanging heavily between them. "I'm so ashamed," Bucky whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I thought I was ready to face it, but now... I don't know how to live with it." Lia's eyes welled up with tears. "I feel the same. The things I did, the way I felt nothing while doing them... I was a monster, Bucky. I enjoyed what I did at times. My victims were probably so scared, and I had no remorse. How do I live with that?"

Bucky didn't respond, lost in his own thoughts, his eyes distant. He was reliving every horrific moment, every act of violence, and couldn't bring himself to speak. Lia's words seemed to echo in the void of his mind, but he couldn't muster the strength to counter her despair. Lia stared at him, waiting for a response that never came. Her heart sank, a fresh wave of pain washing over her. He's not saying anything, she thought bitterly.

He must think I'm a monster too. He agrees with me. I'm terrible, and now he knows it too. Everything's ruined. I hate myself.

The silence between them grew heavier, each lost in their own torment. Finally, without another word, they turned and entered their separate rooms, the doors closing behind them with a finality that felt like the end of something fragile and precious.

Once alone, Lia sank onto her bed, the weight of her guilt crashing down on her. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed, her body shaking with the intensity of her grief and self-loathing. In his own room, Bucky leaned against the door, sliding down to the floor. His mind was a relentless storm of memories and guilt, each one cutting deeper than the last. He pressed his palms to his eyes, trying to block out the images, but they wouldn't stop. He broke down, tears streaming down his face as he struggled to breathe through the pain.

The distance between their rooms felt like a hopeless chasm, their shared suffering pushing them further apart. The memories they had unearthed threatened to destroy not just their sense of self, but also the fragile bond they had relied on for so long. And in the silence of their separate rooms, they both wondered if they could ever find a way back to each other.