💖FROM HATE TO HEART 💖

LOVE'S RECKONING

💗CH-11💗

Magnus sat alone in his chamber, the flickering candlelight casting shadows on the walls. The ancient book in his hands was one he had read countless times, but tonight, the words hit differently.

The story of a young man betrayed by his lover consumed him. A love turned into a weapon, a tool for revenge. The protagonist's pain mirrored Magnus's own. His mind wandered back to Alec- the king Alec. He was the one who had not betrayed him but hurt him, the one who had torn Magnus's heart into pieces even knowing it.

Magnus's fingers lingered on the page, the words beginning to blur in his vision. He could feel the weight of the pain that had settled in his chest, a constant reminder of what Alec had done. Alec, the one who had made promises and then broken them, who had pushed his promises the promises of a king when he needed himself the most.

The idea from the book resonated deeply with him-revenge, but not the kind where you ended it quickly. No, this was the slow, painful kind of revenge. You made the person you hated fall in love with you, and then you tore them apart. Watching them drown in their own feelings, knowing that they could never escape the trap you had set for them.

It was brilliant. It was cruel. And Magnus felt an unsettling satisfaction stir within him as he pictured Alec's face-his confused, earnest expression-falling for him all over again, just to be betrayed. The pain of it would be unbearable for Alec, and it would give Magnus the kind of revenge he needed.

But as quickly as that thought formed, another one rose in its place. The pressure in Magnus's chest increased, a mix of anger, sorrow, and something else-something soft, something that spoke of the past. Could he really do it? Could he really hurt Alec in such a way?

Magnus squeezed his eyes shut, trying to push the thoughts away. If he killed Alec, it would be over. The pain would finally end. But something gnawed at him, a whisper in the back of his mind.

Revenge wasn't just about making the other person suffer; it was about making yourself feel whole again. Would killing Alec, even after all the pain he had caused, bring Magnus peace? No. It would only leave him empty.

But if he made Alec fall in love with him again? If he made Alec feel every ounce of the love only to rip it away at the end? That might finally make Alec understand. That might make him feel the ache and the loss. It was the perfect plan, and the more Magnus thought about it, the more tempting it became.

Magnus stood by the window, staring out at the moonlight filtering through the trees. He could feel the weight of his feelings pressing down on him like a heavy stone, suffocating him. Revenge was supposed to give him release, but it only made him feel more trapped.

Alec had hurt him, yes. He had snatched his family ,yes. But what if Alec didn't know how much it hurt? What if he didn't realize that every action had left a scar on Magnus's heart? The more Magnus thought about it, the more he realized that the anger he felt wasn't just about revenge-it was about making the one mourn for his actions.

But it was too late for that, wasn't it?

He had already decided. The plan was set. He would make Alec fall for him, just to break him. He would make Alec understand what it felt like to love someone only to have them rip your heart out. It would be slow, it would be cruel, but it would work. Alec would never expect it, never see it coming. And when it was done, when Magnus had watched him break, maybe then, he could move on. Maybe then, he could heal.