Chapter 167; Facing My Own Cruelty

Chapter 167; Facing My Own Cruelty
Dana’s POV

I was so so exhausted...
My legs ached with so much pain as I kept walking, and yet I didn’t stop walking. I couldn’t stop walking when Damian was still out there alone.
I’ll endure anything for him, I told myself as I dragged my feet forward and forced myself to walk.
Ahead of me, Kyle and Alex walked with the same determination they had since the journey began, like fatigue didn’t dare touch them. It almost annoyed me how strong they looked how unbothered they looked.
Then there was Marcus.
He walked slightly behind us, quieter than usual, his shoulders looking like he was carrying more than just exhaustion. I had noticed it earlier, but I pretended not to.
I finally slowed my steps and looked directly at him.
“Marcus,” I called.
He glanced up, startled. “Yeah?”
“Are you sure you know where Damian was taken to?” I asked irritatedly.
The effect was immediate.
Marcus froze mid step, his eyes widening as panic flashed across his face. For a second, he looked like a guilty child caught in a lie.
“I.....I mean,” he stammered, rubbing the back of his neck, “not like I’ve actually been there before. I just overheard his friend talking to him. I told you guys that already, didn’t I?”
“Yes,” I replied coldly, averting my gaze. “You did. I’m just making sure we’re not being led astray.”
There was a brief silence.
Then.....
“Dana!”
Alex and Kyle called my name at the same time.
“What?” I snapped, irritation bubbling up. “What were you both expecting? Trusting a traitor? A betrayer?”
“Dana, please,” Kyle said softly, but his eyes held warning.
“No, it’s fine,” Marcus cut in before they could say anything else.
His voice was calm, but painfully sad.
“Winning back broken trust isn’t easy,” he continued quietly. “I already promised myself that no matter what it takes, I’ll wait until she accepts me again.”
I clenched my fists.
“Let’s just keep moving,” I said dismissively. “Since you’re so certain you know the place.”
“But Dana....” Alex called again.
“What?” I shot back.
Alex stopped walking.
I had no choice but to stop too.
“You know,” he said firmly, his voice rising with anger, “even a slave you buy doesn’t get treated the way you’re treating Marcus right now.”
That hit harder than I expected.
“Please,” Alex continued, stepping closer to me, “let go of the hate and hurt in your heart for once. Look at the effort he’s putting in just to help us find Damian.”
“He could have easily told us the name of the place and stayed back,” Kyle added. “But instead, he’s here, walking with us, enduring your insults.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but no words came out.
Because I have noticed that since we started walking, I had been cruel.
Marcus made mistakes, very terrible ones,but he was here now, trying, and enduring. And I was punishing him endlessly for a past he already regretted.
“Can we just continue?” Alex said sharply. “Because right now, I’m honestly disgusted.”
I felt it then.
The anger.
The disappointment.
The distance.
They weren’t mad at Marcus.
They were mad at me, and they didn't even hide it.
I stayed quiet as we resumed walking, the silence heavier than before.
From the way Alex and Kyle avoided my eyes, I knew I had crossed a line. They were no longer talking freely with me, no longer teasing or joking. Their warmth was gone.
And somehow, that hurt more than I expected.
But I’m not the bad one, I argued silently. Marcus is, why is the table suddenly turning?
I sighed deeply.
Maybe their feelings didn’t matter right now. Damian was still missing, that was the priority.
Once we get Damian back, I reasoned, maybe everything will return to normal.
That thought made me smile faintly.
Enjoy it while it lasts, Marcus, I thought bitterly. You’ll face the wrath later.
“But Dana,” Kyle suddenly said, breaking the silence.
“Yes?” I replied stiffly.
“Why don’t you apologize to Marcus?” he asked. “You can see how much effort he’s putting in just to help us.”
I scoffed. “Didn’t he offer to help us with conditions attached? So where is this sudden sympathy coming from?”
“Even if he did,” Kyle countered calmly, “does that mean he deserves to be treated like a slave?”
I said nothing.
Because deep down, I knew they were right.
But admitting it felt like admitting defeat.
So I kept walking.
No insults.
No remarks.
No words.
Just silence.
That was my only defense.
I didn’t want Alex or Kyle flaring up again, so I chose quiet over conflict.
After a while, guilt settled creeping heavily inside my heart.
I slowed my steps, then stopped completely.
“Marcus,” I called out softly.
He turned immediately.
“I know I’ve been acting very weird toward you,” I said, my voice shaky. “And I’m truly sorry if I treated you badly.”
His eyes softened.
“But you can’t blame me,” I added honestly. “What you did wasn’t something anyone could easily forgive, what you did truly hurt me.”
“I know,” Marcus replied quietly. “I messed up. Badly. And I regret it every day.”
He took a deep breath.
“I’m truly sorry, Dana.”
Something broke inside me.
“It’s fine, Marcus,” I said gently. “I forgive you.”
I surprised myself by opening my arms.
He hesitated for a second, then stepped into the hug.
We hugged deeply.
Not the awkward kind.
Not the forced kind.
The kind where unspoken pain finally finds release.
And in that moment, I realized something terrifying and freeing all at once.....
I had been carrying bitterness far longer, bitterness that could eat deep inside of me..
As I hugged Marcus, I felt lighter, much more freer, like chains I didn’t know I wore had fallen off.
Forgiveness didn’t erase the past.
But it gave me peace.
And for the first time since this journey began, my heart felt ready to move forward.
We were back to normal friends, we chatted together and laughed while we continued our search for Zade's hideout.
It feels good to have a friend back.