"I was once like you, Arias." Lt. General Haric uttered. "Young, devoted and justice driven. I was willing to sacrifice not just my life, but even my soul for this country!"

"However, in the eyes of those leaders who know nothing about us and our sacrifices, we are just a pawn. Our lives are nothing to them. I already learned that in a hard way!" He added, glancing down at Arias with his eyes that resembled a ferocious beast.

​​

"That's not true!" Arias said as he abruptly rose from his seat.

Lt. Gen. Haric let out a laughter. It was mocking laughter yet dark. "Have you ever find yourself in the mercy of your enemies, Arias?" He took a step towards Arias as there was nothing that restrained him.

"Have you ever witnessed the painful deaths of your subordinates who trusts you with all their hearts? You are forced to watch their deaths yet... you can't do anything. Do you know that it was worse than death itself?" Walking towards step by step, he was now standing right in front of the Colonel with his gaze fixated on him.

"While I was captured with my twenty subordinates, do you know what I said to them?" He narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist. "Our country won't abandon us. Don't be afraid. That's what I said to them but I was wrong. It happened and they were killed one by one right before my eyes."

"Even if my body is shred to a thousand pieces while I am still alive, it would still be less painful than watching my comrades die before my eyes!" The Lt. General grunted.

Arias remained silent and Haric Geraci continued.

"Your country abandoned you not to stir up conflicts with this country. Those were the words we repeatedly hear along with the sound of mocking laughter. Then I made up my mind. Those who don't understand our sacrifice shouldn't rule the country anymore." Lt. Gen. Haric uttered and turned his back at Arias.

"We, soldiers, did all the sacrifices while those lousy leaders ruled from the luxury of their homes and offices. They don't care even if we died in a foreign country. Yeah. There are thousands of soldiers in our country. Sacrificing twenty was nothing to them."

"But do they thought of this? Those twenty soldiers who died were someone's beloved sons, husbands, fathers, brothers and for us, comrades who went through thick and thin with us! Those unworthy leaders will never understand the bonds between us!"

"That's why I promised to myself that I will reform this country. Even if soldiers sacrifice their lives, the cause won't be the cowardness of the leaders, not again."

He turned around to face Arias once more. "Do you understand now? Why I went down such a path? It's because that day, the devoted and upright soldier was killed. The only soldier who survived was the new me."

Standing still, Arias squeezed his uniform and braced himself. "I will never be able to understand the pain you went through, Lt. General. Because just like you said, I wasn't the one who experienced that."

He finally turned to the Lt. General after turning away from him for a while. Even now, it required too much courage to bravely met his gaze! "But I know this. The people you killed to achieve your dream were also someone's sons, brothers, friends and for us, our comrades." He firmly said.

"If the one who finds out your plan was me and not Marvin Arista or Maverick, will you kill me too?" He asked in a low voice.

The Lt. General's eyes grew wide at the question. "Arias, have you gone crazy? I will never do that to you! I indeed dreamed of creating a new world, but - "

"In the name of creating a new world, you have turned into a monster," Arias uttered, interrupting the Lt. General.

Lt. General Haric raised a brow. A monster? Did Arias really see him like that?!

"Arias." He muttered and glanced at the young man whom he even adored than his own son. "In your eyes, am I really that worse now? I know you won't understand me but... " He paused and took a deep breath. Then he nodded. "Fine. I understand you. It's better this way."

Arias was taken aback by the Lt. General's change in demeanor. "Father - "

"Even if you hate me, don't blame yourself, Arias." Haric Geraci said, interrupting Arias who was trying to say something. "To me, you will always be the best thing that ever happened in my life."

"You may not know this but ever since I went down this path, you're the only one who ever made me question myself. When you first came to me as a cadet, eight years had passed since I save you. You told me that you were that boy and I was the one who inspired you to become a soldier. You said that your dream is to become an upright and honorable soldier like me." Haric Geraci muttered.

"To be honest, you scared me that day because you make me look back at my past. I wondered 'what if I let him down? What if I hurt him in days to come?' I grew fond of you and think of you as my son. However, I already walked that path for 7 years. I can't turn back anymore."

As someone who looked up to Lt. Gen. Haric for almost two decades now, Arias felt an excruciating pain in his heart! Though he never had an intention to turn a blind eye to the truth, even until last night, he wasn't ready to confront him. And now, he finds it harder to continue. After all, he would already die as a 10-year-old boy if it wasn't for Lt. Gen. Haric!

"Leave, Arias."

The Colonel darted his eyes to Lt. Gen. Haric when he heard the two words. There was a hint of amazement and anxiety in his eyes!

"Don't come to meet me again. Take care of Ella. That's the only way you could repay me." The Lt. General said in a stern voice.

"Father - "

"I said leave. I don't want to see you anymore." The voice was low yet authoritative. He even turned his back at Arias right away.

Arias shut his eyes for a few seconds and when he opened it again, he took a deep breath. "After everything is settled, I will come again." He bowed and left the interrogation room.

After Arias left, Yelena who observed everything from the other room, made her way to the interrogation room. Even when she entered the room, Lt. Gen. Haric was still rooted to his place, standing without any movement. Seemed like he truly cared for Arias!

Hearing the footsteps that approached him, Lt. Gen. Haric finally turned around. When his gaze landed on the Captain, he still maintained a nonchalant face.

"Yelena Arista, you really played nice. Turning my daughter and Arias against me, I never thought that you will be capable of this." He retreated to his seat and Yelena sit opposite him.

"Don't you think it's better than killing?" Yelena simply said. However, she was trying her best not to lose control. If possible, she wanted to kill him right away but... it won't solve anything!

"You know that everything here is recorded. You still don't even see the evidence I submitted. Why did you admit everything just because Colonel Arias said that the evidence is enough to convict you?" Yelena asked when the Lt. General remained silent.

At her words, Lt. Gen. Haric slightly smiled though it was clear that it's not due to happiness. "I know Arias well than you did, Captain. Even if he keeps things from me, he will never lie to me."

"You shouldn't do things to hurt him if you really cared about him." Yelena coldly said. She finds the Lt. General very complicated.

"You will surely understand this, Yelena Arista. As a friend, you cared about my daughter a lot, so I'm sure that you were torn when you find out the truth. However, you still chose to continue knowing that it will break your friend. That's just my case." Lt. Gen. Haric simply said. "You are just like your brother - persistent and daring."

"You have no right to talk about my brother." The Captain uttered in a stern voice. "Everything is over now. Your so-called grand plan is now just an ash. That means you will never get what you want."

At her last sentence, the Lt. General's calm facade dropped. The bold words he could never forget crossed his mind once again. The daring prediction of Marvin Arista, that young man's last words. 'You will never get what you want.'

All at once, he smiled which made him resembled a psychopath. "So... he was right all along." He glanced at the young Captain who seemed to be confused with his words. The younger sister of the one who made that bold prediction while he was on the brink of death.

'Do you already see this coming, Marvin Arista?'