She Was Just A Child (PART 2)

CHAPTER 26: UNRAVELING CONTROL

Dian's mind was in chaos. The corridors of the KorTac base blurred as she stormed through them, her heart pounding in her chest. Zero One's voice echoed in her mind like a dark mantra, his words fueling the fire that had been quietly building inside her for days. The jealousy she had buried deep now clawed at her, unstoppable and vicious.

Rustam's name lingered on her lips like a curse. And Amara—her. The woman who had stolen his attention. The colleague who had become more than just that. Amara's smiling face flashed before Dian's eyes, her presence like a shadow haunting her every thought.

As Dian reached her quarters, her hands trembled uncontrollably. She slammed the door shut behind her, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her phone buzzed on the desk, and without thinking, she grabbed it, opening her messages. The last one she had sent to Rustam stared back at her—read but not answered.

A scream ripped from her throat, primal and filled with frustration. She couldn't take it anymore. The anger, the jealousy, the possessiveness—they were all too much. The dark part of her, the part she had tried to bury, was taking over.

Dian's reflection in the mirror looked foreign to her, her eyes wide and wild, her expression contorted with rage. This wasn't her, or maybe it was. Maybe this was who she had always been, just hiding under the surface. She had tried so hard to be normal, to suppress the instincts that came naturally to her. But now, it was impossible.

She had let Rustam slip through her fingers. He was *hers*, and Amara—*that woman*—had taken him away.

Her phone buzzed again, and this time, it was a message from Rustam. Her heart skipped a beat as she opened it, only to feel a rush of icy disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Dian. We should talk later. I'm busy with Amara right now."

*Amara.* The name sent a fresh wave of rage crashing through her, and Dian felt her grip on sanity slipping. How dare he? How could he choose her over Dian? The woman he had known for so long, the one who had been there for him, the one who truly understood him?

Her hands clenched into fists, and her mind began to spiral. Every rational thought faded as the obsession took control. *Amara was the problem.* Amara had stolen him away. If it weren't for her, Rustam would still be by Dian's side, where he belonged.

She couldn't let this continue.

---

The next morning, Dian found herself moving through the base with a singular focus. The world around her seemed muted, and distant, as though it no longer mattered. She had one goal now: to take back what was hers.

As she walked through the halls, she caught sight of them. Rustam and Amara. They were standing near the training area, their heads bent close as they spoke, their laughter ringing through the air like nails on a chalkboard. Amara's hand rested lightly on Rustam's arm, a casual, intimate gesture that made Dian's blood boil.

Her vision tunneled, and all she could see was them—together. Laughing. Happy. Without her.

She felt the pull of her psychopathy stronger than ever, the dark side of her she had tried so desperately to keep at bay now surging forward, uncontrollably. Her hands twitched at her sides, itching to do something, to act.

Before she knew it, her feet were moving, carrying her toward them with a predatory grace. Her heart pounded in her ears, her breath coming in sharp, shallow bursts. Rustam's head turned slightly, his eyes meeting hers, but he didn't react quickly enough. Dian was already there.

"Rustam," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, but laced with tension.

Rustam blinked, his smile fading as he saw the look in her eyes. "Dian, what's going on?"

Amara turned, her expression curious but calm, completely unaware of the storm raging within Dian.

Dian's eyes locked on Amara, the woman she had grown to hate with an intensity that frightened even her. "Why are you with her?" she asked, her voice shaking, though she fought to keep it steady.

Rustam frowned, his confusion growing. "What are you talking about?"

"I said, why are you with *her*?" Dian's voice rose, her control slipping. Her gaze darted between Rustam and Amara, her chest tight with emotion. "She's not right for you! I'm the one you should be with, Rustam! Me!"

Amara's smile faltered, and she took a small step back, sensing the danger in Dian's tone. "Dian, I don't think—"

"Shut up!" Dian snapped, her eyes wild. "This is between me and Rustam. You don't belong here. You've never belonged here!"

Rustam stepped in, his hand raised in a calming gesture. "Dian, please, you need to calm down. This isn't—"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Dian's voice cracked, her emotions spilling over uncontrollably. "You were *mine*! You're supposed to be with *me*, not her!"

Amara took another step back, her eyes widening in alarm. "Rustam... maybe we should—"

"I said, shut up!" Dian's hand shot out, grabbing Amara by the wrist before she could retreat any further. Her grip was like a vice, her strength fueled by the violent emotions surging through her. "You don't deserve him!"

Rustam's eyes widened in shock as he reached out to stop her. "Dian, let her go! This isn't you!"

But Dian couldn't hear him. She was beyond reason, her mind consumed by jealousy and obsession. She tightened her grip on Amara's wrist, her nails digging into the other woman's skin as her fury boiled over.

"You don't get to take him from me!" Dian hissed, her face inches from Amara's now. "He's mine!"

Rustam finally stepped in, prying Dian's hand away from Amara with a forceful tug. "Dian, stop this!" he shouted, his voice filled with shock and desperation. "This isn't the way!"

Dian stumbled back, her chest heaving, her eyes wild with unrestrained emotion. The look on Rustam's face—disappointment, fear—only fueled her rage further. She had lost him. She had lost everything.

Amara clutched her wrist, her face pale and shaken, but she didn't say anything. She just looked at Dian with a mixture of pity and fear.

"I hate you," Dian whispered, her voice barely audible, but the venom in her words unmistakable. "I hate both of you."

With that, she turned and stormed away, her heart pounding, her mind unraveling. She couldn't control it anymore—the jealousy, the anger, the psychopathy that had always lingered beneath the surface. It had taken over now, and she didn't know how to stop it.

As she fled down the halls, tears stung in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She couldn't break. Not now. Not after everything.

---

Hours later, Dian found herself in a dark, empty corner of the base, her mind racing, her hands shaking. She couldn't calm down, couldn't think straight. Zero One's words echoed in her head, taunting her, reminding her of everything she had lost.

"Rustam will never choose you," his voice whispered in her mind. "Not while she's around. Not while you're weak."

Dian pressed her hands to her temples, trying to shut out the voices, trying to regain control. But it was slipping away, faster than she could catch it.

She couldn't lose him. Not like this. Not to someone like Amara.

Her breath came in shallow gasps as her thoughts spiraled, her grip on reality slipping. The dark part of her, the part that Zero One had awakened, was taking over, and there was no stopping it now.

Everything was about to get worse.