Zero to Hero

Chapter 38. Echoes of Despair

"Ken... How did you get into the city? Chloe? Is this why you suddenly asked me to come over?" Clare's voice was filled with confusion and suspicion as she looked at me.

Seeing the confused look on Clare's face and her reaction after seeing me, I knew right there and then that this reunion won't be sweet and gentle like the one with Emma.

"Not even a hug? I guess I don't deserve one after how things ended," I said with a small smile as I entered the room from the open garden.

Giving her sister a disapproving look, Clare grabbed my hand and started walking before I could even greet her mother.

"Why are you here, Ken..." Clare asked after leading me to her bedroom and closing the door so it's just the two of us.

"The first reason is to apologize to you and Cecilla. The second reason is to get to Sraderham with the teleport circle," I replied, feeling the nostalgia of our intimate time spent inside this very room.

"Apologize for what? My father was the one in the wrong. He backed out on his promise; you did nothing wrong and almost paid with your life... But we can't change the past... You shouldn't be here at all. If my father realizes you are here, he won't spare your life this time."

Hearing Clare's concerned tone, my fear slowly faded as I pulled the girl into my arms and embraced her tightly.

"Clare... I was lost after that day. I was broken physically... My mind shattered... I felt like I have lost everything, even my desire to live." Seeing my lover who witnessed the entire situation, I couldn't help but break down and tell her how much it broke me that day and how I spent 5 years of my life simply rotting away.

SLAP!

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Clare slapped me with all her strength, startling me out of my pitiful tale.

"Clare?" I questioned, not sure where the slap came from.

"You told me to slap you if I ever felt that you were wrong, remember? I know you felt defeated, wronged, and powerless, but what you did was beyond selfish and absolutely terrible. Did you ever think about the girls?"

As I settled into the opulent sofa in her bedroom, the weight of Clare's disappointment felt heavier than the plush cushions beneath me. I began to recount my encounters with Emma and Rena, detailing how their lives had been dramatically altered over the past 5 years because of my actions. I lamented the missed opportunity to meet Lovetta and the burden of not knowing what had become of others who were once close to me.

"I always knew Emma thinks you are the greatest thing to ever exist in the entire world, but even she should have reacted to your selfishness..."

"I know I was selfish, Clare. I know I prioritized my own concerns over the feelings of others. I understand I can't change the past, but I'm committed to moving forward the only way I know how—apologizing to those I've wronged and seeking their forgiveness," I confessed, hoping Clare would recognize the sincerity in my words and grant me a chance at redemption.

"That's the least you can do now. I can't imagine how you could leave Alice for over 5 years... For her to have to return to someone else's blood..."

"Yeah... I'm a real piece of shit, aren't I?"

"No... You have always been selfish. Going along with your own thoughts, doing what you think is best without considering anyone else."

Reflecting on my past actions, I couldn't help but acknowledge the countless instances where my selfishness had caused harm.

Looking at the very girl in front of me, I remembered how my stubbornness and refusal to apologize after I had slept with her sister had caused a rift between us that could have been resolved so easily.