Rose-Colored Glasses

Prologue

If you had the power, would you erase all the grief in the world?

You'd probably say yes. If you asked me this question three years ago, I'd say the same thing.

But the thing is, I did have the power to take away all the grief in the world, but I failed.

My brother once told me: Never try to drown out sorrow because sorrow knows how to swim.

I never knew what he meant.

But as I stand here covered in the blood of those who I once loved, my failure finally makes sense.

My fight to drown grief overwhelmed me in a wave of unexpected pain.

I got answers to questions I was afraid to ask.

I was made both a soldier and a victim where I always had to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea.

I often ask myself if I did the right thing, but I know will never get the privilege of knowing the answer to that question.

However, there's one thing I know for sure. The ones I loved were both my greatest sin and greatest redemption.

Their selflessness gave me a reason to fight for those who will never know my name.

Their betrayals healed my old wounds even as they opened up new ones.

Their mistakes opened my eyes to the dark world around me and made me realize that I have spent all this time looking through rose-colored glasses.