Who will Sympathise with a villain?

Chapter1

“Hera… Hera….”

A familiar voice stirred my consciousness, pulling me slowly out of the sea of darkness. I felt so light and energetic, all the lethargy and numbness long gone.

If people knew this is how we feel after dying, nobody would be scared of death.

“Wake up, Cassius, is waiting for you.”

Cassius? Why would Cassius be waiting for me? Could it be that he had died, too?

With a soft grunt, I forced my eyes open.

“Finally! I thought you were going to sleep all day long.” A familiar face greeted me. “Now, get up quickly and wear that new dress we bought yesterday. Cassius has spent a lot of money to book a table at Chestnut Diner. It would be a shame if you miss out on it.”

“Ariel?” Seeing her carefree expression, tears brimmed in my eyes. How long had it been since I saw her like this?

It was all my fault. If I hadn’t persuaded her to marry Norton Hales for my own benefit, she wouldn’t have changed into a cold, lifeless person.

“Ariel…” My voice trembled. “I… I am so sorry.”

Ariel’s jaws hung open, and she gaped at me with disbelief. “Whoa! Where did the sun rise from today? The great princess is apologising to me.”

“Ariel, I….”

“It’s okay, Hera,” She cut me off before I could explained anything. “No matter what you have done, I forgive you. Just consider it as your birthday gift.”

“Birthday gift?”

“Don’t tell me that you even forgot your birthday. This is so not like you.” She pulled off the quilt and dragged me to the old dressing table. “Hurry and get ready. Don’t make Cassius wait too long.”

My mind blanked out and my ears rang with a shrill buzz. Brown hair, jade like skin. Even the scar along my neck was gone.

Birthday. Cassius. Chestnut Diner. My mind buzzed as pieces of information finally clicked into place. I don’t know how this had happened but I was my eighteen-year-old self again. Could it be that I was dreaming?

“Ariel, pinch me….”

“Huh?” Ariel pressed her hand to my forehead. “What is wrong with you? You seem to be in a daze right from the time you woke up.”

“I… I am fine… Ariel, I want to be alone for a while….”

“You…” Ariel looked at me with a worried expression, but agreed. “Fine, if you need anything, call me.”

Grabbing the hairpin from the table, I stabbed my hand. Sharp pain shot through my arm and blood oozed out of the wound.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, and my chest constricted with a myriad of emotions.

This was real. This was all real.

Something shattered in my mind, and a memory resurfaced.

When I was on the brink of death, there was a flash of blinding light and a voice filled with majesty rang in my ears.

“Your suffering is not enough to offset your crimes. I am sending you back to your youth, but I won’t wipe out your memories.

You will have to watch yourself walk along the path of destruction, step by step, but you won’t be able to do anything. Once, twice, thrice, the incidents will keep repeating until we feel that you have suffered enough.”

***

My gaze landed on the tall figure dressed in a blue robe. He looked a bit out of place, but there was something about his bright smile that made him look charming despite his oversized robe he had borrowed from his cousin.

I had made him wait for more than two hours, but there wasn’t the slightest impatience in his demeanor.

Hadn’t Cassius always been like this? Kind, caring, selfless? I was the one who turned him into a monster.

“Hera! You are here!” The warmth in his gaze made my chest constrict with pain.

Maybe that voice was right. I deserved to suffer, but what about Cassius? What about the people around me? They did nothing wrong.

In that moment, I made a decision. I wasn’t going to let them suffer along with me. That damned voice, whatever it was. I wasn’t going to give it the satisfaction of controlling my fate.

Didn’t everything start with that life and death match? If I could stop him from taking part in that match, won’t the future change automatically?

It seemed quite simple. In fact, I even felt a bit of disdain. Since my actions determined the future, couldn’t I control them?

“Hera…” Cassius snapped his fingers in front of me. “Are you alright?”

Seems like I zoned out for too long. “I am fine.”

“It’s good that you are fine.” Cassius looked at me with a dazed expression, and our eyes met. “Hera, you look so beautiful.”

“I… I could only borrow this robe from my brother. You won’t blame me for being too shabby, right?” His face flushed, and he took a step back, smoothening the creases on his robes. His voice dropped a notch lower, and he mumbled. “Chestnut Diner is such an expensive place. After booking a room there, I didn’t have money left to buy new clothes for myself.”

A stabbing sensation pierced through my heart, and I spoke with some difficulty.

“Cassius, I know you have put in a lot of effort in arranging this meal, but I don’t feel like going to the Chestnut Diner.”

“Hera, you….”

Looking at his disappointed expression, my heart ached, but I ignored it. If I didn’t want my fate to be controlled by that voice, I could only react differently in every situation.

“Alright, since you don’t feel like going, I won’t force you. After all, it’s your birthday. You should spend it the way you like.” It didn’t take long for Cassius’s expression to turn to normal. “How about we go to the hillside meadow?”

Cassius had always been so accommodating, so kind. If only I hadn’t been blinded by my ambitions, perhaps…

Cassius drew closer and took my hand in his. I could sense his throbbing pulse and nervous demeanor as we walked along the path. Could it be that he was still going to propose?

If he really did, what was I going to do?

The hillside meadow was scattered with wildflowers, their vibrant colors painting a picturesque scene. The air filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers, and the sound of birds chirping created a tranquil ambiance.

Why didn’t I ever notice this place was so breathtaking?

“Hera….” Cassius’s voice trembled as he squeezed my hand, his intense gaze piercing right into my soul. “This might seem a bit hasty but I don’t want to wait anymore. Hera, I….”

“NO!” I covered his mouth and shook my head. Tears prickled my eyes and my chest constricted, causing me to feel suffocated. “Please don’t say anything.”

“Why?” His voice became hoarse and pain flashed in his eyes. “Is it because I am not worthy of you?”

“It’s not that… I… we just can’t…”

Without giving him a chance to say anything else, I extracted my hand from his grip and took off. I wanted to run away from everything, from all the dreams, hopes, from all the painful memories.