Chapter 101 - Forget the revenge
Layla froze in Karl’s embrace. Her small body was still trembling, but slowly, her sobs began to subside. The cold night air felt a little warmer in the silence they shared.
After a while, Layla took a deep breath and wiped her tear-streaked face with the sleeve of her worn-out shirt. Her voice was soft but firm as she asked, "Karl... what really happened to me before? Why do you care about me? And how do you even know me?"
Karl looked deeply into her eyes. This was a moment he had known would come, but that didn’t make it any easier. He sighed heavily and leaned back, his gaze fixed on the cracked ceiling as if seeking strength in its imperfections.
"I wasn’t a good person, Layla," Karl began, his voice low but steady. "I had abilities—powers that I used in all the wrong ways. I... did things that are unforgivable."
Layla’s eyes widened, but she remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"I could manipulate people’s perception of reality. Not in some grand, heroic way like in fairy tales, but just enough to make people believe things that weren’t true. I... I used that power to exploit women, to take what I wanted without caring about the consequences."
Karl clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white as his nails dug into his palms.
"And when I thought no one could stop me, someone did. A man from a race called the Homo Obscura came for me. They’re beings who can’t be fooled by illusions or tricks. He took me to a place I can’t even describe. And there... I was judged. Every sin, every crime, laid bare before them. And they decided I deserved to die."
Layla held her breath, her eyes glistening with unshed tears—not just from sadness, but from fear and sympathy mixed into one.
"But I escaped. Somehow, I managed to slip away from them, wandering through darkness and silence. And that’s when I met you, Layla."
Karl locked eyes with her, making sure she understood every word he was about to say.