Point of View: Sara
I saw how he reacted.
His entire body tensed instantly, and a deep roar escaped his throat.
—What did you say, Sara?!
I smiled slowly.
Finally.
I had finally managed to shatter that calm of his.
—Now you're willing to talk, Tharok?
But he roared again.
His voice was filled with savage fury.
—Repeat what you said!
My eyes narrowed.
I grabbed him by the throat and forced him upright. The chains rattled loudly as his body barely managed to remain stable.
Our gazes met.
Both filled with hatred.
His breathing was heavy.
Mine too.
I slowly stepped closer until I was right in front of his face and answered coldly:
—Don't raise your voice at me.
I grabbed one of the chains hanging from the floor and wrapped it around his mouth.
He tried to resist.
But he was too weak.
Too injured.
I leaned close to his ear and whispered:
—I don't want to hear you speak.
—You're only going to listen.
I took a deep breath.
And finally, I began saying everything I had kept buried for years.
All my resentment.
All my frustration.
—I never loved you, Tharok... never.
My voice trembled for only an instant.
—I was just an idiot.
—I thought you would give me what I desired.
I closed my eyes.
I could still remember how everything began.
—I wanted power.
—I wanted status.
—I wanted to stop crawling around as just another nobody in the crowd.
I opened my eyes again and stared directly at him.
—And you could give me that.
I stepped closer.
—That's why I approached you.
—That's why I watched you.
—That's why I learned how you thought.
A bitter laugh escaped me.
—I followed you in secret.
—I spied on you.
—I tried to become someone important to you.
How ridiculous I was.
How pathetic.
But then...
My breathing grew heavier.
—Everything changed that day.
I could never forget it.
The day that destroyed my life.
—Back then, everyone only had one Art.
—That was normal.
Only a few lucky people were born with two.
And that day...
—You showed your Arts to your mother.
I could still remember her expression.
The surprise.
The happiness.
And Tharok laughing while she hugged him.
My nails dug into my own palms.
—You had two Arts.
My heart started pounding as I remembered it.
—At that moment, I understood what you truly were.
—You were destined to become someone powerful.
One day, the Plane Lords would know his name.
He would have wealth.
Influence.
And I...
I would stand beside him.
My breathing became more uneven.
I grabbed his jaw tightly and forced him to look at me.
—That day, I decided I would have you.
—I would help you reach the top.
—And we would enjoy everything together.
My voice began to crack.
—But you ruined it.
Hatred filled my chest once again.
I violently dragged him toward a rocky wall and slammed him against it.
The sound echoed harshly.
—You only had to do one thing!
I held him there while breathing heavily.
—Challenge your father!
—Take control of the tribe!
—Expand your power!
My voice trembled with rage.
—Everything was right in front of you!
I tightened my grip around his throat.
—I would have done anything for you.
My eyes burned.
—I would have endured anything.
—I didn't care if you took other women.
—As long as I remained the most important one.
Tears began falling down my face.
But I didn't stop them.
—I would have given you everything...
My voice broke.
—And even then... you disappointed me.
I released him abruptly.
His body crashed heavily onto the ground.
I tore the chain away from his mouth, and he breathed with difficulty.
I could tell how weak he was.
And even so...
He still looked at me the same way.
That only made me angrier.
—You betrayed me first.
My chest hurt.
Far more than I wanted to admit.
—You made me believe you would reach the top...
—And you chose to waste everything you had.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.
But then I remembered that woman.
And the hatred returned.
—It was all her fault...
My teeth ground together.
—Your mother filled your head with nonsense.
—Peace. Kindness. Compassion...
Every word filled me with even more rage.
—She destroyed the future I wanted.
I stayed silent for a few seconds.
Then I spoke more quietly.
—Even so... I still had hope.
My tears continued falling.
—I thought that if she disappeared... you would awaken.
Tharok slowly raised his head.
And this time, I saw something different in his eyes.
Pain.
Real pain.
—But even after killing her... you still didn't change.
That was what finally broke me.
I slowly stepped back.
—That's why you're here.
He tried to speak.
His voice barely came out.
I moved close enough to hear him.
—How did my mother die...?
For a moment, I froze.
Then unbearable fury exploded inside me.
I kicked him violently in the stomach.
—After everything I said... that's the only thing you care about?
My body trembled.
—It was always her.
—You always chose her over me.
I clenched my fists tightly.
No.
I wouldn't tell him anything else.
I didn't want to anymore.
I took a deep breath and spoke coldly.
—Someone gave me the chance to kill her.
—And I took it.
Then I turned around and slowly began walking away.
The torch barely illuminated the damp dungeon walls as my shadow disappeared into the darkness.
Before vanishing completely, I spoke without looking back.
—This will be the last time we ever see each other, Tharok.
And I kept walking.
Without turning back.