Consequences of the Decision.

There was silence in the room for a minute, two men silently looked at each other.

Rick bowed his head and grinned, "Oh, so you want to talk? Did you miss me? Hmm, let's think, which time is it now? Fourth? Ahh, no, now it's the fifth. Eh man, you don't even have anyone to talk to. What a pity," the man tusked under his tongue and shook his head in sympathy.

Over the past six years, this was the fifth time that Marcus returned the memory to him. The procedure was not the most pleasant, rather even very painful, and each time a portion of new ones was added to his memories, something that Marcus had forced him to do all these years.

But not this time. Now everything was different. This time a new block appeared in his memory, about which he could not even dream of.

Rick finally met her. His Ashley. And only this one was worth experiencing pain even a thousand times, just to remember about her.

Unfortunately, he knew that this joy would not last long.

Marcus smirked in response, "Don't be arrogant. It just gives me pleasure to mock you. Although you know, it's sad to watch how once the youngest and most prominent SS officer of the Ahnenerbe sank to such a condition. I still can't understand how that blondie got you so you abandoned your original goals?"

In the forties, Richard Steiner, for his services, received the award from the hands of Hitler himself two times, the young Marcus could only dream of such recognition and secretly envied Richard. Even being the son of the commandant of the Wewelsburg castle, he was much lower in level than Richard, so he put a lot of effort to gain the favor of a successful officer.

Now, this officer, who at one time was an example of a true Aryan for him, was sitting on the floor, completely indifferent to all the goals that he had once set himself.

"And I still can't understand, why are you doing all this? The officer you are talking about died during the explosion back in 1942. Don't you think that enough time has already passed to let go of the past? "Rick himself was a hostage to his past life for a long time and paid a heavy price to acknowledge his mistake. He lost the happiness and family that he could have. He lost his beloved woman and nearly killed his own daughter.

Marcus rested his hands on the bed with a smile on his face, but his eyes remained as cold as before. "The difference between us is that for you that is the past, for me it is still the present."

"Oh, really? Then why have you still not met with Armand? Avoiding your brother with all possible ways, as if you are afraid to look him in the eye after everything you have done?" Rick knew Marcus's weak points very well and was not averse to provoking him. Although he was playing with fire, he checked in each case how far he could go. After all, if Taubert wanted to kill him, he would have done it a long time ago.

"Ever since childhood, you had competed with your brother both at school and in your father's attention. Armand Taubert was calm, capable, achieving success in everything he laid his hand on. Everything was easy for him, unlike you, even the approval of a cold father you had to earn by applying twists and turns.

And so, a girl appears in your house, the daughter of one of the maids, who does not judge either you or him and treats both of you equally. She is like a blank sheet on which there is not a single print, and you can create your own image yourself, appear before her as you would like.

And what a fortune, Armand is not interested in her, unlike you, who falls in love with her at first sight. But bad luck, by that moment, your heart had already become so rotten that you forgot what it means to be yourself, and instead of gaining her trust and attention, you do everything to make her hate you. No wonder she ended up preferring your brother.

So tell me, Marcus, what is it like when you kill your once beloved girl with your own hands, eh? What is it like when you are hiding from the whole world so that no one knows about your existence? What is it like when you cowardly act out of the shadows, afraid to engage in open battle?

Is it because, in fact, the person whose approval you most craved was not your father, but your own brother? But after you killed Polina, you realized that you would never deserve his forgiveness and you chose to run away like a coward.

So tell me, is this your present you're talking about? The present in which you live like a coward, continuing to make your dirty tricks stealthily? Only whose approval are you seeking this time, huh? You are completely alone."

Rick bared his teeth in a triumphant grin, he knew very well that his outburst would cost him serious consequences, but even this did not stop the man to express everything he wanted. He still did not fully understand the ultimate motives of Marcus and hoped that in a fit of anger the latter would lose his vigilance and show what he's made of, but his expectations were not fulfilled.

Marcus made a surprised face and pointedly clapped his hands, "Bravo, bravo! Your emotional manipulation skills almost did not lose their strength," the man got out of bed and headed towards Rick, "You know, a little more, and I would have lost control, but you didn't take into account one moment." He leaned over and whispered, "I don't give a shit."

Rick's body went up and hit the wall with all its strength, Marcus took a step forward and squeezed his throat, "I don't care what you all think of me. I have my own goal and I will achieve it, no matter what it costs. And no matter how many lives it costs, including yours." Marcus has heard so many times in his childhood that he will not succeed, that he has learned not to react to the opinions of others.

"If you don't need my life, you didn't have to touch me at all! I did not ask you to bring me back to life!" Rick croaked, most of all he hated the fact that at the moment his body was absolutely powerless in front of this man. He was completely in his power, and although from within he wanted to tear Marcus apart here and now, in reality, he could not even lift his finger on him. Invisible shackles chained him to the same invisible chains, preventing him from escaping to freedom.

Marcus let go of his throat, and Rick fell to the floor, swallowing air. The room floated before his eyes as if he had been scrolled in a centrifuge for more than one hundred circles. Not without reason, the grab of Marcus was called the touch of the devil. It was like a poisonous spider that poisoned its victim with one touch, paralyzed every muscle in the body and caused painful cramps, leading to madness.

The master looked at his servant with a sense of complete superiority. Submission - unconditional and total - all that he required of this person. From a man who was once more important than him, and who now lay at his feet. Time will pass, and in the same way, the whole world will lie at his feet.

Marcus smirked and calmly replied, "No need to shift the responsibility for your decisions to me, Richard. You say that it was not necessary to touch you and bring you back to life? When I found you in the gateway, beaten and abandoned, it was you who took my hand. Nobody forced you."

The man looked at his watch and confidently walked toward the door, "I will be back in ten minutes, so take a moment and dig into your memory. While you still can."

Marcus laughed out loud and left the room, leaving the man alone with his thoughts. Rick closed his eyes, he did not need to remember what he already knew very well. But right now, he fully realized how great the mistake he made was.

When he made a decision that had forever changed his life.