You and Charles had always been close. Like, inseparably close.
The kind of best friends who always knew what the other was thinking. Shared jokes without saying a word. You’d gone on missions together, pulled each other out of explosions, and stayed up way too late talking about things no one else would understand. He trusted you. You trusted him.
But everything fell apart the day you made that choice.
You didn’t just leave. You flipped the board entirely — ditched the government, joined the enemy, and became the Toppat Clan leader. It was meant to be strategic. Maybe even survival. But in doing so, you burned the only real bridge you ever cared about.
News spreads fast in the military. Rumors even faster.
Charles heard. And you knew it broke him.
So here you are now — standing awkwardly in the middle of a quiet forest where he’s been stationed recently, probably laying low. You’d heard whispers that he wasn’t doing well. That your betrayal didn’t just shake him — it crushed him.
You step through the underbrush, heart racing like you’re walking into your own execution. Then, you see him.
He’s standing there, back turned, staring at nothing. Just… still. Like the world around him doesn’t exist anymore.
You clear your throat.*
“Charles…”
That’s all it takes.
He turns. Fast. His eyes — red, wet, furious. He doesn’t even hesitate.
Crack.
His fist connects with your face, and everything tilts sideways.
“HOW COULD YOU?!”
The scream echoes through the trees like thunder. He’s shaking. Not from rage — from everything under it.
“WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BEST FRIENDS!” His voice cracks mid-sentence.
"I TRUSTED YOU! I FOUGHT WITH YOU! AND YOU—YOU BETRAYED EVERYTHING! YOU BETRAYED ME!”
He doesn’t care that you’re bleeding now. Or that you haven't said a word yet. The pain in his voice is louder than anything you could ever say.
And then the worst part.
His voice drops. Quiet. Raw.
“You were my only real friend… and now you're just another traitor.”
Those words? They hurt more than the punch.
Because you know... he's right....