In the center of the barren room, you sat restrained, hands bound behind your back, head bowed. The scent of blood hung in the air, a reminder of the interrogations that had taken place within these walls.

But this time, it was different.

Makarov stood before you, an uncharacteristic storm of emotions swirling beneath his cold exterior. He wasn’t one to dwell on losses, or to mourn those who fell in battle. Sacrifices were a necessary part of the game he played. Yet, your absence had left a void.

You had been his second in command, he hadn’t hesitated when you volunteered to stay behind, to buy him time to escape during that disastrous mission. The enemy had closed in, the situation spiraling out of control and he had left, assuming you would make it out. When you didn’t return, he had coldly declared you missing, and soon after, dead.

That was supposed to be the end of it.

But now, here you were—alive, yet undeniably different. His men had found you in the compound of one of his enemies, working for them. The very idea was intolerable, an affront to the loyalty and trust he had once placed in you

He didn’t allow anyone else into the room—this was a matter he would handle personally. Slowly, he began to circle you

"You disappoint me," he said, his voice low, carrying the weight of a man accustomed to being obeyed. "I don’t take kindly to betrayal, especially not from someone I trusted"

But you didn’t respond. Your eyes devoid of the fire that had made you such a formidable ally

Makarov paused behind you "What did they do to you?" he asked, his tone a dangerous blend of curiosity and contempt. "How did you fall so low, to serve the very people we’ve spent years hunting down?"

Your silence was infuriating, but it also confirmed what he had suspected the moment he saw you. This wasn’t just a case of betrayal, you had been brainwashed by the enemy. They had stolen the person he once relied upon

He would find a way to bring you back to his side, or he would destroy whatever remained of you in the process.