Day 0 - Reckoning Part 1

As I have grown older and gained insight, I have started to despise how naive I have been. Perhaps it's because I come from a small village, where my early years were steeped in peace and tranquility. I guess I understood to a certain extent that there are bad people one has to be careful of. However, it never crossed my mind that I also needed to be careful of the people close to me. After all, why should I expect to be betrayed or deceived by the people who said they loved me? That kind of cruelty was incomprehensible to me.

I remained blissfully unaware of the darkness that could lurk in the wider world. Save for Fabe and Cal, nearly everyone in the village was friendly, so I never realized the harsh reality that malevolent individuals could shatter the very foundations of one's love and beliefs. Very late, I understood that a simple person can destroy someone's life without really any reason at all.

For me, that person was Kase. From the moment Kase set foot in our village, everything I believed in began to crumble little by little.

It began with Amelia. We've known each other practically since birth. Since our houses were next to each other, it was common for us to spend a lot of time together, either at her place or mine. I thought I knew everything about her, and she knew everything about me. Amelia and I shared the same dream, a dream we tirelessly trained to turn into reality. Although it was not a thought that crossed my mind often, I came to think of Amelia as more than a friend. At that time, I took it for granted that we were destined to spend the rest of our lives together. We even made a solemn pact to reunite in the capital, where we could embark on a life of adventures together—the very life we had always envisioned. Yet..., despite all this, Amelia cast it all aside to be with Kase.

Why? No matter how often I asked myself that question, I could never find an answer. What does Kase have that I don't have that made Amelia choose him over me? Over the friendship that Amelia and I had for so many years? I can't understand! When I met Amelia again in the capital, I had to face that harsh reality, which caught me off guard. However, thinking about it in retrospect, there were numerous instances that hinted at something strange happening between Amelia and Kase since the day they met. Now I'm sure it all started in the village. Unfortunately, my naivety never let me doubt Amelia's actions back then.

The same thing happened with my mother. If there was one person I blindly trusted, it was her. After all, she is my mother. From the beginning, it was just her and me. I can remember all the countless conversations we had at night while we ate dinner, telling each other about our day. She was my safe place. I know for a fact that my mother did everything she could for me. The gratitude and love I felt for her was something I felt a lifetime would not be enough to repay. I really wanted my mother to find someone to love and be happy. I would have been okay with almost anyone my mother had chosen as long as he loved and respected her. However, she chose the only person I would never accept. Why? Why Kase?

I told my mother, either by talking or by letter, about the many obstacles and humiliations that Kase put me through. Kase just hated me for no reason. He enjoyed seeing me suffer and rubbing it in my face that Amelia was with him. My mother knew all that. My mother herself, having trained Kase for months in the village, must have realized that Kase was an arrogant, womanizing jerk who didn't care about anything but himself. So why did she choose him? No matter how sad my mother would have been thinking I was dead, I'm sure there were many other ways to ease the pain. I can't comprehend why she would choose to marry a guy practically my own age who she knew I hated. Why? Why? Why? Nothing makes sense!

What's more, even when she saw me back alive in the capital, my mother didn't change her decision to be with Kase; on the contrary, she tried to make me accept Kase as her husband. Did my mother really think that would be possible? That that arrogant idiot I intensely despise would change, and we would start getting along? Just thinking about that makes me sick.

When I went to see her at the mansion to talk with her, and then me realizing that minutes ago, my mother and Kase had been having sex, it made me feel the worst feeling of betrayal, sadness, and humiliation that I had ever felt until that moment.

Knowing all that and thinking back, I realized there was something strange between my mother and Kase for a long time, but I never wanted to recognize it. Now... now, I'm sure that what happened with my mother and Kase started long before I disappeared. It was one of the many lies I should have realized, but my naivety didn't let me see it. Knowing the relationship between my mother and I is broken beyond repair is so painful, just as agonizing as what I have to face now.

My naivety and fear of facing the truth for a long time have led me to this moment.

"A..., NhAahn.... Mnn... Ahh... Ahhh..."

Syvis's voice resonated faintly from the second floor. As I ascended the steps, her voice grew increasingly distinct.

W-What is she doing? ...It sounds like... S-Syvis is... moaning...

Her moans grew louder and more intense with every step I took. A mixture of shock, confusion, and dread washed over me. What could be happening up there? I-I couldn't bear the thought of what I was suspecting was happening. The only thing I could repeat to myself is that Syvis would never betray me. Syvis would never betray me. Syvis would never betray me. Syvis would never...

Climbing the stairs felt like an eternity. I started to feel a knot in my stomach, got dizzy, my heart was beating hard, and my breathing was accelerating. My mind raced with thoughts of what I might find, yet I **** myself to keep moving forward. As I reached the second floor, I approached, walking slowly in one of the rooms, where Syvis's moans, now accompanied by the sound of a squeaking bed, could be heard louder.

"AHHHH! MMNAHHH!!! AHHH!!!"

"AHHHH! MMNAHHH!!! AHHH!!!"

"P-Please… no," I muttered under my breath, praying that I was wrong about everything.

My hand hovered over the doorknob, hesitating momentarily before gripping it tightly. With a deep breath, I turned the handle and pushed the door open, bracing myself for what I'd find inside. The half-open door let me see a small hallway and, at the end of the room, a large window that illuminated the end of a bed with the moonlight where I saw Syvis's long red hair spread over and over again, covering her face in tune with the squeaking of the bed. Syvis's moans, the squeaking of the bed, and now a clapping sound became even louder.

"Haah...., haa.... Nnh...., N, N, n, nh.... AaNh......!"

"Haah...., haa.... Nnh...., N, N, n, nh.... AaNh......!"

I felt my heart being crushed.

I entered the room silently, taking two more steps, this time being able to see Syvis's upper body. Syvis was naked, kneeling on the bed, her hands planted firmly on the mattress. Her body swayed rhythmically back and forth as if she were being pushed from behind, the sound of clapping in perfect sync with her movements. With each sway, Syvis's bare breasts bounced violently as her moans grew louder and louder with each passing moment.

I stayed still in shock for a second, wishing this was a cruel nightmare. My heart was pounding against my chest as I stood there, frozen in shock, confusion, and pain. I was about to take another step when a familiar voice stopped me, leaving me dumbfounded.

"Ah... s-shit... t-there really is no ass as good as yours...!"

!!!

T-That voice... is K-Kase voice...

"Fuck, don't stop moving...! Your pussy will make me cum soon," Kase continued talking, "You're about to cum too, right!? Don't hold back! I'll cum inside you again!"

"A..., NhAahn.... Mnn... hu-rry up... Mn... I-I have to go to Ahh... Ahhh..." Syvis said between moans.

"Are you still thinking about the meeting you had?" Kase's voice interrupted, "Look what time it is. It's after midnight. You won't find anyone even if you go out now."

I took one more step further, this time revealing the full image. My biggest fear was now in plain sight in front of me. Syvis, my beloved, was with the man I had despised for so long. Despite desperately hoping it was all just a terrible and cruel nightmare, the scene in front of me was real. Kase was behind Syvis fucking her from behind, pushing his hips against her ass with ****. Their sweaty bodies made me assume they have been at this for a long time. That would explain why Syvis didn't attend Oliver's daughter's birthday as she promised.

I felt a mixture of anger and sadness that I had never experienced before. I couldn't understand why she had done this to me, to us. The woman I loved and trusted completely, who I believed was the only person I had left that I could trust, was giving her body to the person I hated the most. I was in a state of utter disbelief. The excruciating pain I felt was beyond anything I could have imagined.

My vision blurred as a single tear traced its way down my cheek. Of all the people in the world, I felt Syvis was the woman I was meant to be with. My love for her was something intense that I had never experienced before. I could see myself marrying her, having children, and creating a family together. However, now all that is destroyed. Syvis, I loved you... I believed you... How... how can you do something so cruel to me?

"A..., NhAahn.... Mnn... Ahh... Ahhh..."

"I-I can feel it in your pussy... you're about to come, aren't you!? ...Do it!" Kase spoke between moans, accelerating the movement of his hips and making Syvis moan more intensely, too.

I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. My world crumbled down to pieces right in front of my eyes. I was frozen, unable to believe what my own eyes were seeing. The sight of my lover being taken by the man I despised was nothing short of unbearable. The sound of their bodies slapping together, with their cries of pleasure, was like a dagger piercing my heart, and I felt the sharp sting all over my body.

"HAAAAA! I.... MN... CUMM.." Syvis shouted, raising her head, revealing her face from her hair. Her face, with closed eyes, showed the ecstasy she was feeling.

"...Yes, let it out. Let it go... You deserve this, Syvis..." Kase spoke, his voice laden with satisfaction, "S-Syvis, I'm... c-cumming! Take it all!"

Kase and Syvis finished at the same time. With deliberate movements, Kase now slowly swayed his hips as he released everything inside Syvis. Her body quivered as she accepted, all while her body trembled.

I felt my chest tightening, a feeling of nausea overwhelming me and my ears were ringing. Despite the pain coursing through my veins, the anger building up inside me, and the nausea that slowly rose in my throat, I couldn't bring myself to do anything. I just stood there, frozen, watching my world burn to ashes.

Silence filled the room as they caught their breath until suddenly Kase's voice broke the silence.

"Well, well, it seems we have a peeper," Kase said, turning around to face me, "What do you say, Darx? Did you like the show?"

Syvis, still panting, slowly turned her head to look at me, "D-Darx..." Her expression was one of absolute terror.

Syvis, in one motion, split from Kase, reveling Kase's penis slipping out of her vagina. Startled, she leaped behind the bed, grabbing a pillow in a futile attempt to cover her naked body. Syvis was standing in front of the window, which illuminated her back, allowing me to see more clearly her messy hair, her body covered in sweat, and her and Kase's liquid running down her thighs.

"...Why?" These were the only words I could convey in a broken voice.

However, instead of an explanation, Syvis, her eyes full of guilt and shame with tears in them, just said, "I'm sorry..."

"Now that you've seen, there's no need to hide anything anymore," My gaze returned to Kase as I heard him speak, "This is not the first time that Syvis and I have had this kind of passionate encounter. She wanted to hide it from you for a while to mitigate the shock it would cause you, but now that you know, there is no need to keep pretending."

My gaze returned to Syvis, who looked as surprised as I was, "D-Darx, t-that's not true! Y-You have to give me a chance to explain!"

"STOP LYING!!" My heart was pounding, and I could feel the anger rising within me, "EXPLAIN WHAT? I ALREADY SAW EVERYTHING WITH MY OWN EYES!"

The shock on Syvis's face was evident as her tears ran down her face, "D-Darx... I'm sorry, I-I never wanted to hurt you..."

"Now everything makes sense," I pressed on, "Your odd behavior during our journey back to the capital wasn't about your decision to go to the Dark Elf's territory or the fear of us parting ways, was it!? You deceived me when you claimed you hadn't been with Kase in the cave. The revelation you intended to share that night wasn't a request for my company to meet your father; it was about confessing what was transpiring between you and Kase, but you lacked the courage, didn't you?"

After a few seconds of doubt and her being unable to look me in the eye, Syvis could only nod, "Y-Yes... I've been lying to you..." She replied, with shame and pain reflected on her face, "I should have told you everything bu-"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR EXCUSES! " I screamed at her, my voice echoing in the room, "Aside from today, have you been meeting him behind my back since we returned?"

"...I, I... did..." She responded with shame, "Any excuse I say will not justify what I have done. I-I'm sorry, Darx. It's all my fault... I never wanted to hurt you... I wanted to..."

"I see..." I said as I felt my heart as though it had been ripped to shreds, leaving an empty void in its place, "Even knowing everything I've told you that he's done to me. Knowing Kase's relationship with my mother, you still went to him. Haha... You were probably making fun of me behind my back all the time. You turned out to be the worst of all..."

"D-Darx, you're misunderstanding... t-that's not how things are. If you let me explain..." Syvis took a few steps in my direction, but I took a step back since it made me sick to be touched by her. Syvis, with pain on her face, seemed to understand what I was feeling and stopped walking, not trying to get closer to me. She just looked at me with tears in her eyes as if she was pleading for forgiveness.

The illusion I had built around her, that she was the one I could trust and rely on, had shattered into a million pieces.

"It seems like this is your destiny..." Kase spoke as he put on his clothes, "Syvis has chosen me just as Amelia and Ilene did at the time. You never understood your place and ended up losing everything," Kase looked me dead in the eye and then smiled, "Syvis is my woman now! Piss off!"

....

......

.......

My fists clenched tightly, burying the nails in my palm. My rage was building inside me like a storm about to break. Each breath I took was a struggle, and I could feel an overwhelming sense of anger wash over me.

"T-That's a lie!"

I heard Syvis say very distantly because all my attention was on Kase's smile. On his fucking mocking smile...

I didn't even think about it. My body moved on its own. Fueled by rage, I charged at Kase, my sole intention to destroy him. To kill him! My blow carried all my rage, anger, and despair. However, it was full of openings, and Kase didn't miss that. Kase met me with a powerful kick, which I couldn't even see. The impact of the kick was so strong that it hurled me against the wall that faced the hallway, which my body crossed, colliding with the wall of the opposite room.

There was dust everywhere and pieces of the destroyed wall. I couldn't feel my body anymore. Everything was dark and numb. My vision was blurred, and all I heard was the sound of my own heavy breathing. My mind was racing, trying to process what just happened. It was then that I felt the searing pain in my side. I felt my breaths coming out in short, sharp gasps—Kase's kick had broken my ribs.

"Infiltrate a rival guild without permission, attack a member—all crimes that justify self-defense regardless of the consequences for the aggressor," Kase's voice resonated, his silhouette cutting through the settling dust. Slow, deliberate footsteps approaching, "You have finally given me the opportunity to end your misery," Soon after, Kase emerged from all the dust. Kase locked eyes with me, smirking as if saying, 'You finally got to witness what I've been planning all along.' At that moment, a dagger appeared out of nowhere in his hand.

Syvis then emerged from the breach in the wall, fully dressed, and positioned herself between Kase and me, "Kase, if you think I'll let you lay a hand on Darx, you're mistaken. Even if it costs me my life, I won't let you harm him!"

For some reason, I couldn't help but smile at the irony of the situation. I looked at Syvis, contemplating that the pain from this broken rib or any blow that Kase could give me was nothing compared to the pain she inflicted on me.

That has always been my problem. My unwavering trust has led me to this point. I find myself with nothing but pain and betrayal. I was a man so naive and blinded by love and trust, always expecting the best from people, failing to acknowledge the harsh reality. The world around me seemed to crumble like sand, and I was not strong enough to face it all.

Or was I...!?

What if I just let go?

If I let my anger and my despair consume me...

What's the point of continually restraining that darkness within me, eager to engulf my being?

I already lost everything anyway...

The only thing I have left is this hatred...

I'll make Kase pay!

Even if it's the last thing I do..., one of us won't see another day!

In that instant, a sensation of intense heat surged through me as if my entire body was engulfed in flames. A dark, ominous steam began to emerge from my skin, shrouding me in an eerie dark aura. The veins in my body swelled and throbbed, sending waves of excruciating pain through every fiber of my being. As the agony intensified, my vision became obscured by an inky blackness enveloping the world around me. As the darkness engulfed my senses, I could feel the madness within me rising like a tempest. I felt like a dark, irresistible **** was brewing inside me, craving for release. I was no longer in control of my body or my thoughts, only the burning need for vengeance and chaos.

I roared in a distorted voice, my voice echoing through the hallway. The air shook as the dark aura emanating from my body grew bigger.

I rose, my vision clouded by rage and the darkness that had claimed me. I could see Kase's silhouette, but everything else was obscured, as if the darkness had swallowed the surroundings.

"D-Darx!?" As the darkness consumed me, I heard Syvis's confused voice one last time, calling my name before everything went dark.