C15 - Hear In Silence

Radan's eyes widened as he heard his friend's words. He slowly let down the sword he pointed at Lyanna and turned his head with a frown at Vidus.

"Yo-you ... killed ... J-Juno?" Tears appeared in his eyes.

"I did." Vidus replied without hesitation, still kneeling on the floor.

Radan moved his leg subconsciously and kicked Vidus' stomach with full strength. Vidus fell back at least two meters. He tried to get up on all of his four limbs while coughed up a little blood.

"Y-You! You killed her?! My sister?!" Radan shouted loudly and now he pointed his sword at his friend, losing his mind due to the stormy feelings that rampaged inside his heart.

"TELL ME! WHY DID YOU KILL HER?! YOUR WIFE?! MY SISTER!!" The emotions controlled his body, losing every rationality.

"I lived enough with these pains. Strike at me." Vidus remained calm while his face was soaked in tears.

"Four. I searched for the killer for more than four years. I tortured many people just to find the culprit who was beside me the whole time. What are your last words?" Radan raised his sword above Vidus head.

"I have nothing more to say." Vidus calmly closed his eyes and lowered his head, being ready to accept his fate.

Radan said nothing and hold tightly the handler of his sword with both of his hands. He raised the sword where it nearly touched the ceiling, and without saying or thinking anymore, he swung his weapon.

*Clang*

The sound of colliding metal filled the room. Radan stood dumbfounded when he saw a red-colored rod-like thing blocking his sword's way towards Vidus.

"What are you doing?" Vidus raised his head and asked when he noticed the girl blocked Radan's sword.

"How much you suffered till this very moment?" Lyanna asked Vidus without any emotion.

"Not enough." He replied.

"And you think your death would relief your soul." Lyanna said and turned her eyes at Radan. "What would you earn if you kill him?"

"Pe-..." Radan quickly opened his mouth but he cut off his sentence.

He silently watched his friend, ignoring the girl's unpleasantly yet weak suffocating aura. Radan pulled down his sword next to his side.

"What. Happened?" He asked Vidus.

His voice was filled with many emotions at one time that no one could count.

Vidus did nothing but nodded and took a deep breath before he started to tell what happened that day. On that specific day when every moment like a deep cut left a wound inside his heart.

"Nearly five years ago ... The weather was a little cloudy but still sunny. I and another soldier did our usual patrolling around the western gate. We separated our ways when we arrived at the gate since I got a call by the commander of the western gate while my comrade went back to the headquarters." He recalled the events from the moment where he felt it won't cause a too deep wound on Radan's current state of mind at the beginning.

"I walked up to the first floor and the commander spoke with a strange-looking man. For the first, I thought it was just a beggar, but after that ... the commander pointed at me and told the beggar I was one of the most talented soldiers in the city. He praised me with so many words that felt mostly cringe and uncomfortable instead of pleasant." Vidus continued without break.

"The beggar walked before me and asked me 'Do you wanna be the part of the Great Chaos Empire' which sounded crazy at that moment. But he talked more. As if I won't join, I will be dead and it would be better if I use my chance to join to the followers of the current city lord."

"I had no clue what will I accept but I offered my hand as the commander pressured me with gesturing at his neck like he would kill me if I refuse. Then the commander sighed out a huge one with a self-confident expression and asked the beggar about the preparation. But to my surprise, he only told one sentence 'It won't matter, they will arrive soon at any time ...'."

"In that minute, the bell for alarming the city has rung crazily, means attacking forces approached the city. I turned and wanted to live, but the beggar put his hand on my shoulder and told 'You will stay here for now until I say you can leave,' with a creepy smile." A few drops of sweat appeared on Vidus' forehead.