PARADOX: The Hidden History

2: Noah Ivanov

"Avan!" She gave him a stern look, "Leave us alone, don't come in until I tell you to." The blonde named Avan looked like he would kill me, but he nodded, scoffed, and walked out. Not missing a single beat to glare at me.

"N- Sir, I know I can't say sorry because it would fix nothing...but you need to understand that it was war," she spoke softly.

"Fuck off..." I sneer. Her eyes widen, and she stands up.

"The nurse will take care of you till you heal. And my brother will assist you to get a livelihood here in anything you need."

I smirk. "Anything I need?"

She nods, "Yes, you're our guest. Moreover, a victim of the war. We help however we can."

"Wow, so it's like, cause the problem and solve it? Real tactics," I state bitterly.

Her eyes soften, but not the calm soften. To the kind of soft when you see a wildfire break. "Look, you're not the only one who lost people in the war. So don't get too high of yourself. There are people out there who have lost their sanity!"

"And who's the cause!? You! You killed! You could have stopped the bloodshed! You killed kids!!" I yelled, sitting up.

"Those kids were training to be assassins! My men were poisoned by them!" She yelled back.

"You could have just captured them! Did you have to torture a twelve-year-old!?"

"That was a mistake!" She stood up. "That...was...a mistake..." she whispered.

Her eyes turned red, but there wasn't rage. There was hurt. And regret. And I felt happy. I think I did at least.

"Mistake? Killing a child is a mistake? You were a fool," I glare at her, "a fool who believed in the words of another fool." Tears filled my eyes.

She cast her gaze down.

"Tell me, maharani. How does it feel to sit on a throne of blood? Ruling a kingdom knowing the crimes you've committed. The people who didn't deserve to die. Kids and elders. All were a mistake, right?" I laugh bitterly.

She stayed quiet. I glared at her and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards me. Her eyes widened as she looked down at me, her wrist was in a tight grip of my hand, and her free hand stumbled onto my shoulder.

"How about you kill me here, too?" I whisper.

Her eyes widen, and she tries to pull her hand away. "Unhand me," she sneered.

"Not until you get what you deserve," my grip on her hand tightened. "You're weak. You feel guilty. Why? What's the use?"

My smirk hid my throbbing pain.

She glared at me as she stopped struggling. Her hand burst into flames, forcing me to leave her. But I chuckle, making her frown.

"See? You used flames. Should have burned brighter."

Her face had an unreadable expression as she walked to me and slapped me across the face. I glared at her, "Now you're going to victimise yourself? Classic" I chuckle.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"You," I barked. She frowned in confusion. "So that I can kill you inch by inch. Just like how you did that day. He was pleading you, remember? His sons were watching. His wife was watching. You tortured him anyway. And then when the coward of a man told you the boys were 'evil'. You killed the eldest one. I was surprised you cried while doing so! Tell me, were those happy tears?" I laugh, tears flowing down my face.

Just like hers. But she didn't deserve it. "Don't cry, you don't even deserve it," I sneer. "You monster."

Her eyes flickered with something before she took a deep breath and wiped her tears.