Celestia’s breath caught in her throat.
For a second.. just one second everything around her seed to freeze. The surroundings, the air, her thoughts... all suspended in that one brutal, unfiltered sentence.
I hate you.
And always will.
Her heart didn’t just sink it shattered, piece by piece, under the weight of those words. She had prepared herself for anger. For resentnt. Even indifference.
But not this.
Not raw hatred.
She straightened a little, blinking rapidly, as if that might sohow erase what she had just heard. Her lips parted, but no sound ca out. Her throat had gone dry.
He wasn’t lying. She could see it. There was no hesitation in his eyes. No flicker of doubt. Just cold, dead sincerity. The kind of truth you couldn’t reason with.
Celestia took a slow breath in, but it trembled before she could release it. Still, she didn’t allow herself to cry. No. Not here. Not in front of him.
"...I see," she said, her voice quiet, her gaze still locked with his, as if silently asking for sothing more anything.
Razeal stared at her for a long mont, his cold eyes unblinking. And truthfully? He found it pathetic. Apologizing now? After everything? After she had been one of the ones who destroyed his life, twisted his fate into this hellish spiral he couldn’t escape from? Now she ca to him, expecting what? Forgiveness? Understanding? Closure?
What did she want? Did she truly think that by whispering a half hearted sorry, he would magically erase years of agony and respond with a smile, telling her it was all fine?
And that whole question."Don’t you want to know the reason?" The audacity.
The truth was, for a long ti for years, actually he had wanted to know the reason. He had craved it like water in a desert. Why Selena accused him. Why Celestia had stood there and, with those special eyes of hers eyes that could distinguish lies from truth without fail nodded and confird it.
She had known he was telling the truth. Her eyes would never lie. And still, she crushed him under the weight of her silence.
It wasn’t just betrayal. It was betrayal from soone he had believed in.
From childhood, from the very mont he was born into this world, Razeal had known these people would one day beco his enemies. It was written in the novel, preordained by the plotline. They were the "protagonists" of the story, the chosen ones, and he was fated to be the villain.
But he had tried to escape that fate. Obviously
Powerless from the start, he knew he had nothing to offer. The original villain was powerless too until the age of fourteen—the plot had told him that much. And the power that ca later... he hadn’t even wanted it. Those abilities weren’t gifts; they were curses. Dark, destructive, ant to twist him into a monster.
He didn’t want that. So he made a plan.
If he couldn’t fight fate with power, maybe he could fight it with people.
He thought, Why not build good relationships? Maybe, just maybe, if he acted differently than the villain he was supposed to be if he showed kindness, built trust, proved he was nothing like what the story wanted him to beco then they would see. They would understand.
So he tried. He worked hard. He smiled when he didn’t want to. He helped when he didn’t have to. His mother. His sister. His family. The families of Selena and Celestia. He spent ti with them, listened to them, shared innocent laughter and long conversations under starlit skies.
He gave them everything.
He avoided Areon more than the rest yeah he had always known that one was a lost cause, destined to be his archnesis. But even then, he played his part. He stayed civil. Friendly. At tis, even helpful. Not because he wanted to deceive them, but because he wanted to believe that he could change the ending.
And it had been working.
At first, things were slow. But progress ca.
The monts the plot had predicted the events that should have torn him down, isolated him, painted him as evil from childhood never ca. Not as they were supposed to. ans it was working.
He had grown closer to them. Not just acquaintances. Friends.
He beca the beloved younger brother to Nova, the one she protected and spoiled.
He beca the best friend of Selena. She had been so deeply attached to him, almost inseparable.
And Celestia the ever proud Imperial Princess he had impressed her so much, not with magic or power, but with sheer respect, gentlemanly charm, and unwavering devotion knowing she be the strongest, that their relationship had blossod into an engagent. The royal family approved. His own family was overjoyed. Everyone had celebrated.
And at that ti, he thought...
Maybe he really had changed fate.
Maybe the villain could have a different ending.
Yeah... children in this world were quite precocious, born and raised among high expectations and noble bloodlines. So, things like engagents, reputation, and even political ties was normal here.
Honestly, even he had grown emotionally attached to everyone. After all Spending ti with them day after day, it just... happened quietly, naturally before he even realized it. And when he finally did, he didn’t fight it. Why should he? What was so wrong about it? Wasn’t it a good thing having people around, sharing warmth, laughter, even silence?
He almost forgot who he truly was.
He had grown too soft, leaning on them more than he ever intended to. But wasn’t that only natural? People form bonds. Even animals begin to love when shown enough care and ti. So why not him? He was still human not to say.
But then.. that day ca.
The Awakening Ceremony.
In their world, the age of eight marked more than childhood it was the first true step into destiny. A day every noblebborn child awaited eagerly, when their innate talent would awaken and be formally revealed to all. The ceremony that shaped their future, their place in society, their value.
Everyone had sothing.
Everyone... except him.
Of course, Razeal had known. Deep down, he expected it. But to those around him? Shocked faces. Not to say his family reaction..
The elders
Whispered confusion. Pity. Disgust. Disappointnt.
A noble without talent.
A son of legacy, born with nothing.
Razeal suddenly shook his head, snapping himself out of it. No use crawling through old wounds. The hunger to know why why they betrayed him, turned on him had long since dulled under mountain of what ca after.
He was fine. Just as he was now.
He inhaled sharply and turned his gaze back at Celestia.
"So," he said, voice cold, guarded, "you gonna tell what you’re here for? Or are we just wasting ti now?"
There was no warmth in his eyes. He didn’t believe her not even a little. Whatever reason she had for coming here, it couldn’t be pure. Not after all these years. Not after everything.
He didn’t believe in them anymore. Not in her. Especially not in her.
If she ca to apologize, he had nothing to offer in return.
Celestia, who had been watching him quietly, exhaled softly as if trying to compose herself. She opened her mouth perhaps to offer sothing kind again but stopped. Her expression hardened. Her royal composure snapped back into place like armor.
"It was because..." she raised her hand slowly, index finger lifting to point directly at his face, "...you were weak." The apology its done even tho doesn’t seems like it worked... but... Sighh she doesn’t know
And
This... this was the real reason she’d co. To tell him the truth. Whether he wanted to hear it or not.
Because deep down, she still believed he deserved to know.
Huh?
"I didn’t want to be married to soone so far beneath ," Celestia continued, her tone eerily calm. "But since the engagent had been arranged by my mother, I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t like it. The idea of being bound to soone powerless. So, I did what I had to."
Her words were knives each one slicing into old scars. But she didn’t stop.
"I don’t know why Selena accused you of rape. But as for ? I spoke against you because I wanted to break the engagent. That’s all.". It wasn’t ant to destroy you. I just wanted the promise nullified. I thought... with your family’s influence, you’d maybe get punished lightly. maybe public humiliation. But you’d survive it."
Her voice faltered slightly.
"I... I didn’t expect your mother and sister to go that far. That wasn’t... that wasn’t my intention. It was a miscalculation."
She said it so smoothly, like she had rehearsed the line in her head a hundred tis.
And maybe she had.
She breathed the last word like it was an excuse. A mistake. Like that made everything okay.
All at once, her entire justification tumbled out of her, like she’d been holding it back for years. Her shoulders sagged a little.
"I never hated you, Raze. You were close to . If not as a husband, at least... as a friend. I didn’t want it to go that far. I swear. Afterward, I planned to fix things. Sohow yeah. Apologize properly. I didn’t think you’d vanish completely. I tried looking for you with the help of the imperial family. For years. But... nothing. Eventually, I thought you were dead. And that you’d never know the truth."
She looked at him then, her eyes searching. "I didn’t want you to think I betrayed you."
"I thought I’d never get to explain myself. That you’d always believe I betrayed you. But I didn’t... not in the way you think. I just didn’t want a weak man beside . Not when I’m ant to be Empress one day. You know how this world works, Razeal. If the Empress has a weak husband... she has a weakness and just imagine even you would be in danger right?." She explained.
A deep, almost deafening silence followed.
The wind rustled the leaves behind him, but Razeal stood still.
[Host...] the system’s voice whispered in his mind, uncertain. Careful.
Razeal didn’t reply.
His thoughts didn’t race they stalled.
The millions of reasons he had imagined over the years maybe she was threatened, maybe she was blackmailed, maybe mind control, maybe it wasn’t her choice all of them shattered, one by one, like glass under foot.
It was none of those things.
It was just... that.
Just because she didn’t want to marry soone weak.
His throat tightened.
"Just... because of that?" he whispered, the words barely escaping his lips. "You said all that... just because you didn’t want to marry ?"
She nodded slowly, her gaze unflinching.
She tried to speak again, noticing how distant his eyes looked.
"I was only ten back then, Razeal," she said. "You have to understand. I wasn’t mature. I didn’t know what would happen. I... I ssed up, alright? I tried to fix it later. I swear I did."
A bitter laugh slipped out from Razeal’s lips.
Mature?
This girl had read the entire Imperial Library by the age of ten. She had already begun studying political strategy, parliantary law, and royal diplomacy by nine. She was being grood to rule the entire Empire.
Mature?
She was more prepared than anyone.
"Umm... yeah," Celestia mumbled, awkwardly shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "So... I think you don’t really need to hate , you know..." Her voice grew quieter, less confident. "I really didn’t an for things to turn out like that." She hesitated, her fingers lifting to scratch lightly at her cheek as her gaze slid away from his, avoiding his eyes like they might burn her.
There was a strange hesitance in her, sothing unfamiliar sothing vulnerable. "If you want... I can still help you," she added, almost unsure of her own words, like she was searching for sothing to cling to.
She didn’t even know how to bridge the gap between them anymore. Everything felt so distant. And honestly... she did regret her decision, deeply. That mont from years ago still haunted her more than she liked to admit. If she could rewrite that part of her life, she would again and again, if only it could undo the damage.
But she couldn’t. She didn’t have that kind of power atleast not now.. neither over him or his feelings and certainly not over how he looked at her now.
And it unsettled her.
Seeing the hate in Razeal’s eyes hatred directed at her it made sothing twist uncomfortably inside her chest. She couldn’t explain it. She didn’t even know if it was guilt or sha... or sothing else entirely.
But she knew one thing.. She didn’t want him to look at her like that
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Whew... Finally wrapped this one up. Damn, this Chapter was so tough to write felt like wrestling with words for hours.
Sigh. But hey, let’s leave that behind. Thank you all so much for reading... My only motivation.
Also, I wanted to open things up a bit if any of you have cool ideas for powers or abilities, drop them in the comnts! I’m always open to feedback, and if sothing really clicks, who knows? I might just weave it into the story.
Oh, and speaking of weaving things in I’m about to start introducing a lot of new characters, and fast. If anyone wants to suggest nas or even concepts for characters, I’d absolutely love to hear them. This story is growing, and having you all involved makes it even better.
Thanks again for sticking with . Today was just one Chapter... but writing it felt like ten.
More coming tomorrow morning, so stay tuned!
Love you, my cute little pumpkins.
—Lazy
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