Finding Contentus

Chapter 32: The R&R Tale (1)

Renero shook his head in clear disapproval and disdain.

"Now what kind of life is that? That is not the only way to survive, that is not the only way to live, that is just... more hell on earth..."

Renero looked up to see a shadow passing over Ramsis's face as he stared down at his own shadow and the contrasting life lessons he had received all his life from his father Pharaoh Ra. They were all about the necessary means that those who conquer are forced to commit in order to stay on top, and the necessary acts that were needed to achieve stability and control.

Now here he was, talking to his powerful enemy who could have very well chosen to lead his people to go down the same path in order to be on top of the world for the sake of survival and protecting his kind...

But didn't.

Instead, they all used their power to escape from everything, never actively seeking revenge against the humans that wronged them. Never desiring world domination to ensure that they would survive against their enemies that were systematically taught and brainwashed to hate them without any real reason aside from the dangerous stigma attached to the Racaan race.

The Racaan race that kept on losing and suffering. The same race of people that only killed and fought back when they were provoked, and never launched offensive attacks on humanity in the name of justified revenge no matter how many losses they kept sustaining.

Ramsis tried understanding how they could possibly absorb so much unconditional hatred and death without even having the thought of doing the same back to them in equal measure at least. He was always taught that mercy, forgiveness and compassion was only for the weak.

But now—

"Do not get me wrong, Ramsis."

Ramsis lifted his head back up to Renero who held a bitter gaze his way.

"We Racaan people are just like you human people in every way. We feel and experience the same exact things. Such as the desire for justified revenge, such as pure hatred, such as fear, such as weakness, such as unfathomable urges for violence to usher all the pain and loss we continuously sustained back onto your kind. We all have 'good' and 'evil' inside of us after all. The inside that has the power to become monsters and demons."

His bitter gaze then simmered to one of disappointment, which caught Ramsis off guard in how he felt worse that it wasn't rage or red-hot anger.

A crushing feeling of disappointment he felt the day he had to answer to his crimes to his father, his three siblings and to his people in being the one who orchestrated Renero's release.

"However, the only difference is that we are all stronger people than you. Hate isn't born, it is taught, it is learnt, it is experienced, it is embedded in education. If we had to be the exact same then we would all be trapped in the never ending cycle of hatred."

"As such, the only way to break away from such a cycle is to become something more, something better. To strive to be better. To not fall under such darkness, but to rise above it. Falling under darkness is easy after all, and that's why you humans are weaker than us. Finding the light is more difficult, but that is why we Racaans will always be stronger than you, even in death!"

Each word he spoke became heightened with his voice, and his dark brown eyes reflected the burning lights so much that Ramsis couldn't tell whether or not his eyes were actually burning.

"For the weak can never forgive, forgiveness is a very long and difficult journey. Only the strong have the capability to forgive. Only the strong have the capability to remember their hatred! Only the strong have the willpower to not let such valid hatred consume their lives! Only the strong can liberate themselves by choosing to move forward while never forgetting their pain and their permanent scars that will never fully heal! Only the strong can overcome and push themselves towards building a better future and better lives for themselves! Only the strong can be better people!"