Betrayed [Raakshyan Series Book 2]

Chapter 40 - [Aarvind]

Her tears hurt me so much that I wondered how on earth Kero managed to take it.

      Aathiray crying was not something I liked. Not at all.

      I sighed loudly as I heard Aathy’s final words to Keroshan. No. I thought. Now I felt like this was my fault.

      I leaned back in my chair and thought deeply as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

      “Betrayal.” I whispered to myself.

      It was a deadly weapon.

      It could create tears.

      Break hearts.

      Destroy families and friendships.

      Ruin hard earned respect.

      I sighed again as I thought of my son and his love. It could turn good people into confused, reckless souls.

      I crossed my arms and looked straight ahead at a wall.

      This whole mess started because of a Betrayal.

      It started when Darius betrayed me.

      I would never forget the day I realized that there was no longer any hope in us being friends.

      The day I realized that we were sworn enemies.

      We once fought side by side as companions, as best friends… as brothers. But that’s not how it was today. I didn’t think it will ever be like that, not anymore.

      He looked at me, eyes filled with hate and disgust. It was a look of jealousy and maybe even evil. I was sure that I had a similar look. The only difference would be that I had no evil or jealousy in mine. I was disgusted, absolutely disgusted with his actions, with his reasoning, with him. And this disgust is what made the hate in me burn. 

      But how did he have the heart to hurt me? Me? The one who saved him countless times from physical battles and even emotional battles.

      I shook my head. I had to forget the past, he obviously has.

      He scowled. “This is it.”

      No. I needed more time. Just a little bit more, that’s all I ask for. I looked up, the sun was setting, only a little longer…

      “Goodbye, my dear friend.”

      My dear friend… how funny.

      And then, I felt it. The sharp knife stabbed into me. I heard a scream. The pain rushed through me as he pushed it in further.

      The screaming started to fade away as the sky darkened.

      “I’ve done it…” I heard him say.

      I smirked as I felt the light hit me. The pain seemed to disperse as I took a breath. If he wants to fight me, then fine. I’ll let him fight me.

      But I will never let him kill me.

      I let the moonlight hit my body as I tightened my grip on his arm.

      I used all the strength I had to snap his arm and push him aside as I pulled the knife out of me.

      I threw it aside and looked at him.

      As Darius hollered in pain, I looked around as I tried to find the owner of the scream.

      Though I knew who it was, I wanted to see her face.

      I wanted to see the face of our goddess… a goddess who seemed to care enough for me to scream when I was stabbed.

      But I saw no one.

      Only Darius and I.

      But that didn’t matter because I felt her.

      I felt the unbelievable amount of strength that she suddenly bestowed upon me.

      So I looked back at Darius. “You will not prevail.” I said as I walked over to him, feeling a strange strength.

      He fell onto one knee, holding the arm that I had snapped, and looked up at me only a moment later. “How…”

      “Now that you’ve killed Uley… you are the symbol… the epitome of evil.”

      He smirked and gave me a look filled with pride, ignoring the fact that he was on his knees in front of me. “And I suppose you’re the epitome of all good in the universe?”

      I didn’t say anything, but his eyes suddenly widened as light flashed from behind me.

      Darius. I heard the goddesses’ beautiful voice say from behind me. You have betrayed your friend and chosen a path destined to bring destruction to my people. So now, you have betrayed every Raakshyan that lives in our Realm. You have lost the right to live.

      And then to my surprise… he snorted.

      He snorted and disappeared.

      I blinked a couple of times and went back into my deep thoughts.

      Betrayal.

      I wondered if all of this was directly my fault. I wondered if all that I had only now realized was my fault.

      Was it my fault that after everything that has happened… after all the love and the hate and the fake and the real… poor, innocent Aathiray was the one who ended up feeling the most betrayed?