Chapter 414: Won Or Loss? Weird Reaction?

"For the greater good...?" Sofia repeated slowly, the words sounding almost bitter as they left her lips, her eyes fixed on Razeal with a mixture of disbelief and quiet resistance, her brows knitting together as if she was trying to physically reject the logic behind what he had just said, and she shook her head faintly, her voice steady but carrying a weight that made it clear she wasn’t just arguing she was pushing back against something she genuinely feared.

"No... that’s not enough," she said, her tone firm now, "That’s not a good enough reason," her chest rose slightly as she took a breath, trying to keep herself composed, "Even to start something like this... even to take the first step..." her voice wavered just a little, not from weakness, but from the sheer scale of what she was imagining.

"Millions of people would die... millions," she repeated, her eyes tightening, "families destroyed... lives erased... suffering that won’t end even after it’s over..." her gaze dropped for a brief second before returning to him, sharper now, "This plan... it has too many problems," she said, more quietly this time but no less serious.

"Too many things that can go wrong... too many consequences that can’t be undone," and then, softer, almost pleading beneath the firmness, "We should find another way... there has to be something better than this."

"But there isn’t one."

Razeal’s reply came immediately. Flat and Unmoving.

"There is no other way," he said, his voice calm, almost detached, as if he had already exhausted every possible alternative long before this moment, "It’s this... or nothing." He tilted his head slightly, a faint, almost dry chuckle escaping him, "And that ’greater good’ thing?" he added, his eyes flickering faintly with something unreadable, "It’s not even my own idea." His lips curved slightly. "Someone told me that sacrifices are necessary."

"A God... And God said those words to me when telling me about why I should do what he said." His gaze hardened just a fraction. "A hypocrite God."

Sofia flinched internally at that.

But she didn’t give up.

"...But.." she tried again, her voice pushing forward despite everything, her instinct refusing to let this settle as the only answer, but before she could continue

"It’s not his fault." Maria’s voice cut in.. Sharp and Sudden.

And Sofia turned toward her, slightly taken aback.

Maria’s expression wasn’t calm.

It wasn’t composed.

It was strained tight with conflict but her eyes were steady as she looked directly at Sofia, "If this happens... if all of that happens..." she said, her voice lower now but carrying intensity, "then the blame isn’t on him." Her jaw tightened slightly. "It’s on destiny... on those gods... on whatever forced this situation into existence in the first place." Her gaze flickered briefly toward Razeal before returning to Sofia. "This isn’t something he wants," she added, more quietly now, though the conviction didn’t leave her tone, "It’s something he doesn’t have a choice in."

Even as she said it

She knew how it sounded.

She knew how wrong it felt.

But she also knew

It wasn’t entirely false.

Sofia’s expression softened for a moment, just slightly, as she listened, and she nodded faintly, acknowledging that part, "I understand that," she said, her voice quieter now, more controlled, "I do." Her eyes returned to Razeal, steady, serious, "But understanding why something is happening... doesn’t make it the right path to take," she continued, her tone firm again, "I’m not saying you’re wrong about your situation... I’m saying this solution is." Her brows furrowed again, "There has to be another way... even if we haven’t found it yet... we should look for it," her voice tightened slightly, "Because that many deaths... that kind of destruction..." she trailed off, shaking her head faintly, unable to fully accept it.

Razeal watched her quietly.

Then exhaled.

"I know what you’re thinking," he said, his tone calm, almost patient now, "But people dying?" he tilted his head slightly, "That’s not something this plan creates." His gaze steadied. "It’s something that’s already inevitable."

"That was always part of my destiny."

"Even if I don’t do anything," he continued, "Even if I step back and refuse to act... it’ll still gonna happen." His voice didn’t rise. It didn’t waver. "That’s just how this is set." He shifted slightly in his seat, "As long as this conflict exists... as long as there’s me and them ...Or whatever that is that stands against me..." his eyes darkened faintly, "...pain, death, suffering... it doesn’t gonna stop." A brief pause. "Not until one side is gone."

The words settled heavily.

"It’s either me..." he said quietly, "...or them."

Silence.

"And the people in between?" he added, his tone softening just slightly, "They were never going to be safe in the first place." He looked at Sofia directly now. "But I can tell you one thing," his voice sharpened faintly, "What happens because of me... Deaths in number or whatver everything.. Combined.. It will never reach even a fraction of what they have planned." A pause. "Not even close."

"And even if I find another plan," Razeal continued, "the outcome won’t change much." He leaned back slightly, his expression returning to that same calm neutrality, "People dying... that part stays." A faint shrug followed. "Unless I die."

The words hung there.. Uncomfortably.

"Though even that might not fix anything," he added, almost as an afterthought, "Because that’s how cosmic order works." His gaze drifted slightly, distant. "If I fall... someone else takes my place."

Sofia clenched her hands slightly.

Because deep down

She understood what he was trying saying.

But she refused to accept it.

"...Nothing is inevitable," she said suddenly, her voice stronger now, pushing back against the weight of his logic, even if it hurt to do so, "You said that yourself," her eyes locked onto his, unwavering, "So maybe... maybe there is another way." Her voice softened slightly, but the determination didn’t fade, "I’ll find it... if you can’t... then I will," she said, her tone almost stubborn now, "But until then... don’t start this," her brows furrowed, "Please."

And for a moment

It almost sounded like she was asking.

But before anything else could be said

"Enough."

Maria’s voice snapped through the air.

Sharp and extremely Cold.

And Sofia turned toward her again, startled.

"Just whose side are you on?" Maria demanded, her eyes narrowing slightly, her tone cutting now, no longer conflicted just direct, "He just told you it’s him or them." Her voice rose slightly, emotion breaking through, "That means if he doesn’t do this... Then he dies." She stepped forward, her gaze locked onto Sofia’s, "And you... as his wife... knowing that..." her jaw tightened, "...you’re still standing here worrying about people who might die in the process?"

"People die every day," Maria continued, her voice sharper now, almost shaking with frustration, "Wars happen for stupid reasons... pointless reasons... people kill for pride, for greed, for nothing," her breath hitched slightly, "And this... this isn’t even that," she gestured toward Razeal, "Because he just doesn’t fucking have a choice."

"And you’re trying to stop him?" her eyes burned with something deeper now, something almost accusatory, "What are you really saying? Say it clearly. You want him to do nothing? To just accept it? To die quietly so that others can live?" her voice dropped slightly at the end, but it didn’t lose its edge.

"Is that it? Just ficking say it.. Because that’s what it sounds like," and with that, the room fell into another silence, heavier than before, as the weight of her words settled in, leaving Sofia standing there, caught between two truths both unbearable in their own way.

And the room fell into a suffocating silence after Maria’s words, the kind that didn’t just linger in the air but pressed down on all three of them, heavy and unyielding, as if even the walls themselves were absorbing the weight of what had just been said, and for a few long seconds, no one moved, no one spoke only the quiet sound of breath, uneven and strained, remained, and Razeal, sitting there between them, shifted his gaze slowly, first toward Maria, studying her trembling anger, then toward Sofia, whose expression had changed not defensive, not shaken, but something quieter... something deeper, and Sofia, feeling his gaze, lifted her eyes to meet his for just a moment before turning her head toward Maria again her movement slow, deliberate, as if choosing her words carefully before letting them exist, "I would never want that," she said, her voice low but steady, holding Maria’s gaze without flinching, "Nor do I want it," she added, the emphasis subtle but firm, making it clear she wasn’t wavering on that.

Maria’s eyes narrowed slightly, her emotions still raw, still sharp, and she stepped forward just a fraction, her voice cutting through the silence again, "Then what do you mean?" she demanded, her tone tight with frustration and something deeper beneath it, something closer to fear, "Because what I’m hearing..." her voice trembled slightly despite her effort to control it, "...is that you’re trying to stop him," she said, her gaze unwavering, "Trying to persuade him to not do this."

Sofia didn’t respond immediately.

She didn’t look away either.

Instead, she took a slow breath, her chest rising slightly before she spoke again, her voice softer now, but far heavier than before, "I said that..." she began, her tone calm, controlled, "...because I know what comes after." Her eyes flickered briefly toward Razeal, then back to Maria, "Even if he succeeds," she continued, her voice gaining quiet intensity, "what then?" A pause.

"Those deaths... those consequences..." her brows furrowed faintly, "You think he won’t carry that?" she asked, her gaze sharpening slightly, "Maybe right now... he doesn’t feel it fully... maybe right now he can still separate it..." her voice lowered, "...but when it’s over?" Her eyes darkened faintly. "When he sees what it cost?"

"Destroyed families..." Sofia continued, her voice almost hollow now, "fathers lying dead... mothers... sisters? daughters? raped?violated...? children..." her voice faltered just slightly, but she forced it through, "Kids...torn apart... covered in blood..." Her breath caught faintly before she continued, quieter, "...that’s what war looks like."

Silence.

"And when he sees that..." she said, her gaze returning to Razeal for just a second before settling back on Maria, "...he won’t be able to ignore it." Her voice softened, but the weight didn’t lessen. "He won’t be able to walk away from it."

"Guilt... regret... remorse..." she listed quietly, "...it’ll stay." Her eyes tightened slightly. "And he won’t come back from that."

Maria didn’t interrupt.

Didn’t argue.

Because she could see

Sofia wasn’t speaking from opposition.

She was speaking from fear.

"I’m not trying to save people," Sofia said finally, her voice steady again, clearer now, "I don’t care about them like that." The honesty in her tone was blunt, almost harsh, but real. "I know sometimes people have to die...And.. I would kill anyone if it meant protecting someone I care about." Her gaze didn’t waver. "Without hesitation."

That much

Maria believed.

"But this?" Sofia continued, her voice lowering slightly, "...this isn’t about that." Her eyes flickered toward Razeal again, softer this time. "I’m trying to save him.. Protect him." A brief pause. "From what comes after."

And that

That was the part that lingered.

Because it wasn’t about the war.

It wasn’t about the deaths.

It was about what those deaths would turn him into.

"And I don’t want to be part of a he breaks," she finished quietly, her gaze returning to Maria, "...or the reason he destroys himself."

Silence.

This time little Different.

Maria stood still, her anger stalling, her expression shifting as Sofia’s words settled into her, not fully dissolving her stance, but complicating it, making it harder to hold onto one side without seeing the other, and for a few seconds, she just stared at Sofia, her breathing uneven, her eyes still sharp but no longer purely hostile, and then she clicked her tongue softly, turning her head away slightly, biting down on the inside of her lip as if forcing something back, before finally glancing toward Razeal again.

"This..." she muttered, her voice lower now, less aggressive, but still firm, "...this is about your survival." Her eyes lifted to meet his, faint moisture gathering at the edges, though she didn’t let it fall. "And whatever needs to be done for survival..." her voice tightened slightly, "...it’s not your fault.. Its your Right.." She held his gaze, her expression conflicted but resolute. "So don’t..." she hesitated for just a fraction of a second, "...don’t ever blame yourself.. What you did for to live.."

And Sofia, hearing that, let out a tired breath, shaking her head slowly, almost helplessly, as if rejecting the entire premise itself, her shoulders lowering just slightly as she realized that no matter what she said, it wasn’t reaching where she needed it to.

Why can’t she see it...? she thought silently, her chest tightening again, It’s not about blame... it’s about what he becomes after...

Razeal just sitting between them, watched the exchange quietly.

His gaze moved from Maria

To Sofia

And then back again.

And after a moment

A faint chuckle escaped him just to himself.

"Hmm..." he murmured softly, almost to himself, "Two completely different perspectives..." his eyes flickered slightly, "...and neither of them are wrong."

But there was no judgment in his tone.

Just observation.

"...Maybe that’s what makes life what it is," he added faintly, almost absentmindedly, "...how complicated it can get."

He let out a small breath.

Then shook his head once. As if setting everything aside.

"Well..." he said, his tone returning to calm neutrality, "You both don’t need to stress about this."

That made both of them look at him again.

"The decision’s already made," he continued simply, his voice steady, unwavering, "I’m doing it."

No hesitation and no room for argument.

"Whatever you think of me..." he added, his gaze shifting slightly between them, "...whatever the consequences turn out to be..." his tone didn’t change, "...I’ll carry them."

"But... I’ve already thought about this," he said, quieter now, but firmer, "Deeply. And for a very..

Very long time.

And then

He looked at them both directly.

"And this is the only path that works for me."

Silence followed.

Heavy and very much Final.

"So whatever your concerns are..." he continued, his voice calm but absolute, "...they won’t change my decision."

And then, after a brief pause

"I didn’t tell you this to ask for help," he added, almost casually, though the implication behind it wasn’t light at all, "...or to make you come with me."

His gaze steadied.

"I told you because you should know.. That this is my plan.. And path i have choosen whatever right or wrong.."

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