Finding Contentus

Chapter 32: The R&R Tale (1)

An incredulous look of astonishment could be seen on Renero's face the likes of which even managed to cause Ramsis's eyes to become more enlarged with a slight sense of horror.

"The right way?" Renero's voice dropped to a very deep and low level, his tone edging to become dark and dangerous as shadows creeped over the both of them, entangling them in an abyss of unspeakable ends.

"So what? We should have just proven you humans right in becoming the savage monsters in Primalstasis that you see us as? The monsters you wronged? The monsters you—"

"Killed and stole." Ramsis fired back bluntly, not even attempting to hide away from the crimes that the humans from Metro believed were righteous for their own survival in the long term. "It's kill or be killed after all, that is the way living works."

"No." Renero fixed Ramsis with a harsh glare of disapproval that seemed to lash at him like a sharp whip.

"Such a way of living is not the 'right' way. Such a way of living is exactly what we Racaans valiantly tried to stray away from and prove we could find a better way. Such a way of living is exactly what my father's will proposed to be our way of living. A way where we could be free from everything. A way where we could live in peace, without having to constantly fight, kill and wage constant wars against the primals, ourselves and you humans. A way..."

His glare lessened to one of defeat like glass. The harshness turned into softness and his voice matched such a turn.

"A way where we could be content with our lives and our survival. A way where our souls could be liberated from it all. A way where we could find harmony."

There was no wind inside the house, but there was the gushing feeling of its howling force that entered the room like a fierce storm. A long minute elapsed in which Renero sighed to continue.

"To be the conquerors or the conquered. The dominators or the dominated. The oppressors or the oppressed. The killers or the killed. The predators or the prey."

Renero dropped his head a little and opened his chained hands fully, showing them off to Ramsis, being magnified by the plastered shadows to appear as gigantic hands that could choke the life out of him.

"You see these hands? These hands have been used to kill many. These hands have been used to ruin the lives of many. These hands have the blood of many. These hands have the power to kill many more. These hands have the power to kill all of you right now if they so desired."

Although he was intentionally threatening Ramsis, his voice still retained its tone of melancholy rather than violent hatred.

"Yet, these are the same hands that choose not to unless pressed to do so. These are the same hands that choose to move forward towards something better, but never to forget that which was heinous. These are the same hands that remember its anger and hatred, but only use it when absolutely necessary. These are the same hands that choose to build, rather than destroy."

He opened his eyes to stare down at his own gigantic shadow.

"These are the same hands that we Racaan people could have used to wage catastrophic domination and destruction against all our human enemies. But all that would do is create more enemies and more unfortunate victims."

"Then we would all be trapped in an endless cycle of killing, hatred and revenge until what? We all kill each other? Until there's nothing left? Until all our human enemies are destroyed? Until all our human allies see us as monsters and become our enemies as well? Until all of humanity is destroyed? Until we risk destroying ourselves in the process? Until we are the last race standing in the world at the expense of everything else? Until all the primals come to pick up the last pieces since there's no cure for them"