Chapter 11

"Can you feel this?"

Uraraka pinches the tip of Katsuki's pinky finger and for the first time, there's actually a twinge of something. He can't help the grin that immediately crosses his face and light returns to her eyes.

"Is that a yes?" she asks, and he nods immediately.

"It's faint, but there's definitely something there." After a couple weeks of rebandaging the wound, his body had finally fought off the infection and stopped incessantly bleeding. The nerves are another story though: a total pain in the ass.

Still, Uraraka sighs with relief and seems ecstatic with the burst of progress. "Can you

move it?" "Not yet," he says as he tries to wiggle it. "But I'll get there." "How about

your thumb?"

Katsuki frowns and tries to pull it inwards towards his palm, but still, it only twitches. It's been like that for a while and he hasn't been able to use his other four fingers.

"It's okay, you're doing great so far." Uraraka runs her hand up the underside of his arm. As she does so, he continues to keep it extended across the table. "Have you noticed any difference in your strength?"

He shakes his head. Even though she already halted her instructions, he continues to try moving his fingers but to no avail. "I'm a little shaky but I think the nerves are just jumpy after what happened. Also, maybe it's the bond acting strange too. It's sapped my energy."

"That makes sense," she says, bending the arm to take a better look at the hand. "It's still too early to tell if you'll be able to use your hand like you used to. Feeling things is a good sign though, and as long as you keep up your exercises there's a chance that you can maintain some muscle strength." Katsuki nods as his eyes drift towards the fire. Only yesterday was he allowed to return to his own private tent instead of being constantly supervised by Uraraka. Technically he's a prince so he can do whatever he wants but he decided to listen to her for once instead of being stubborn. That meant letting Kirishima command the forces for him as he rests and recuperates from his injury.

So much time alone has left him several hours to think, though.

Strategically. Once Uraraka is summoned away to help treat the new wave of injured soldiers, Katsuki fishes for a map to spread across the table's surface. There's no chance to fuck up again and he has to plan a way to find Izuku. Unfortunately, there's a lot of factors that he needs to keep in mind but this challenge is something he's never faced before. It's exciting and he's thrilled the more he thinks about dragging Izuku back into his arms, nowhere to run, nowhere to go.

Over the last couple weeks he's thought about the various routes his mate

could have taken to escape after what occurred at the hot springs. Ultimately Izuku is a prince which means he lacks survival skills and he would have had to end up at one of the nearby towns in the area to even survive. With no money and a broken wrist, he should be dead but he's not. Katsuki can feel that he's alive and ultimately that's what confuses him the most.

The Todoroki kingdom is expansive, but even so, Kirishima has the basic battle training to know that letting anyone in or out of a warring territory isn't in their best interest. To keep people there is important: kill enough of them to strike fear into their hearts before enslaving the rest. Refugees are moving further south and Katsuki wouldn't complain about that since it means those forces are dwindling.

So how would Izuku even get through the tight borders? He could probably fuck some alpha to get through but he's undoubtedly too proud for that. Also, he's probably avoiding his heat like the plague and anyone's knot could trigger it at this point. His hormones are becoming more and more delicate.

The other option is that Izuku went north into Katsuki's territory. That's suicide but he can't rule it out just yet... but what makes this a headache is that searching both the southern territories and his own kingdom would take an inconceivable amount of time. By then Izuku would undoubtedly be dead or pupped by someone else.

It's a time limit of three or four months at most.

Kirishima is also a pain in the ass—always checking up on him at least once per day—and at first he thought he was just being clingy. But no, Kirishima is watching to make sure he doesn't go off on his own and try to find Izuku before his hand is healed. Even if he tries to leave that damn idiot will probably catch up with him and try to talk him out of it again. Then there's the Todoroki kingdom that he has to conquer for his mother. It's impossible to come home without a mate and a win from this battle but...

"Can I come in?"

He pinches the bridge of his nose with frustration: it's Kaminari, obviously, but he really doesn't want to be disturbed. Still, it might be something important so protesting isn't a good idea. "This better be good if you're disturbing me this late." Katsuki growls as he hears the tent's entrance push aside. "And don't drag dirt over the rugs again or I'll break your fingers."

"That almost makes me want to do it," Kaminari replies, but he kicks off his boots regardless. Of course they're caked with mud but at least it isn't getting on the rugs.

Still, Katsuki isn't in the mood for games. "If the news isn't about the Todoroki kingdom or my mate, I don't give a damn."

"What if I told you it's both?"

It admittedly draws his attention but it sounds too good to be true. If Kaminari is trying to trick him or piss him off, now is the wrong place and time to do it. His hands have been itching for violence and he won't hesitate to knock the idiot's teeth out if this is just a load of horse shit.

But... there's a look in Kaminari's eyes. It's electric and ambitious, like he's buzzing with excitement and he's about to short-circuit if he's bound to just another moment of silence.

He must have actually found something.

"What is it?" Katsuki asks, hiding the growing curiosity from his voice.

"I figured that Kirishima would be so distracted with you, he wouldn't bother to check what I'm up to." Kaminari seats himself on the table, fingerless gloves curling around the edge to keep himself steady. "I wanted to search for an easier way to finish this war because I'm actually getting a little tired of killing people. But I wanted to find a solution that would make everyone happy. Not just me."

Katsuki arches an eyebrow but he supposes it's not surprising. Kaminari is the least enthusiastic about brutality, oftentimes squicked by the gore of battle. He tends to gravitate towards strategy and planning more than anything else, and he's usually been the one to offer more peaceful solutions that don't involve slaughter. Maybe he just doesn't like the mess.

Unfortunately, Katsuki's true priorities often lie with bloodshed. It's what makes him feel most alive, after all, but Kaminari just seems to go along for the ride and never takes it too personally when he has to step over dead bodies. The behavior tends to come off as general apathy instead of adamant disgust.

"The Todoroki kingdom anticipated your arrival and they dispatched agents a few months prior," Kaminari continues. "The purpose of these spies was to track the movement of your army and relay messages back to the royal family. Then they would know how much time they had before your arrival. But now that you're here, they have new orders to head towards the center of your empire and relay political messages from the capital."

"How did you find this out?"

"Kirishima's barricade," he says with a sly smile. "I managed to catch a few informants trying to sneak through. I didn't kill them though, I just took their orders and sent them back."

Katsuki frowns. "Now the royal family is going to know that we

know."

"Which can be used to our advantage. Believe it or not, keeping people alive can actually be in your best interest." "That's absurd."

"It isn't," Kaminari insists. "If you keep them alive and you follow their train of thought, you know what they'll think and eventually what they'll do."

"And what do you think they will do?" Katsuki growls. The look on his face is

positively devious. "Barter." "That doesn't make jackshit sense."

"Really? Because Shouto Todoroki wants to have a private meeting with you." He pauses, as if for dramatic effect. "Tonight." At first Katsuki thinks it's a joke but those eyes are bright and thrilled. It looks like he's actually serious for once, like he's pleased with himself for this series of accomplishments. But still, Katsuki feels cautious. It could be a trap, right?

But now that he thinks about it, the agents could have been the kingdom's only hope of possibly defeating the empire. Katsuki can technically control the spies however he likes by relaying his own messages in place of the kingdom's, as long as they don't know that the orders are coming from Katsuki instead of Todoroki. Maybe that's why they're so desperate to end the war: they're being driven into a corner and now they'll try to offer things in exchange for peace.

"They have nothing that I don't already have, though. Trying to barter is useless in a case like this," Katsuki says, drumming his fingers on the map. "They also probably expect that I'll take what they have and crush them anyways."

Kaminari grins. "But they would much rather try to reason with you than allow

thousands of people to die. It'll also make you look good if you keep your word for once."

"I don't care about looking good, and again, there's nothing they have that I don't

have already." "Except for Izuku's location, of course."

Katsuki's heart skips in his chest, plummeting straight into his guts. The suddenness to it feels like a sucker punch to the ego and his voice drops instantly. "What?"

"It's what Todoroki told me to offer you. I'm not sure if he's telling the truth or not but I'm sure he wouldn't want to joke about something like that," Kaminari says with a shrug. "That would be a death wish."

His chest aches just thinking about seeing Izuku again. It could be a lie but if there's any chance of it being true, he needs to find a way to get to him as soon as possible. The clock has been ticking since the moment Izuku stepped into the forest and Katsuki needs to find him before another alpha does. A single knot could probably send him into heat because he's just that close to tipping over the edge.

"I'll be at the meeting," Katsuki finally declares, cracking his neck with his free hand. "And I promise I won't be late."

Because he isn't an idiot, he decides to bring Ashido and Kaminari.

The two of them, even put together, will never amount to the worth of his right

hand but at least they can work as a dual-human shield to cover his current physical weakness. It's better than charging into this alone, which he isn't stupid enough to do. He's still not entirely sure if this is a trap or not but he can't help but wonder if he would give a damn either way.

It's been difficult not to think about Uraraka's words, especially as he formulates plan after plan to try and take Izuku back. They haunt him and sometimes even keep him wide awake as he tosses and turns in bed.

When Izuku bears your pups, will you leave them completely alone?

His knee jerk answer would be no. He doesn't want to and he's not sure he wants to leave Izuku alone either. At first he didn't care, really: in fact he thought it would be fun to allow Izuku to gut him like a pig but his priorities seem to be readjusting. Maybe it's his rage but he wants to keep the damn omega alive and suffering for as long as he possibly can. His urge to break Izuku is far greater than his pursuit of pleasure and he's looking forward to tearing every shard of hope from his eyes.

He wants to see him bleed.

"Your hands are shaking," Ashido comments as she creeps up next to him. Her eyes glow brightly in the darkness of the forest, like amber fireflies stark against the night. "I'm assuming it isn't from fear."

"Like hell it would be," Katsuki growls.

She flashes a grin and glances up ahead towards Kaminari. He's been leading the way, stepping over fallen tree trunks and trekking through the underbrush. Despite the noise it should make, he moves silently. Like a phantom or an

apparition and Katsuki briefly wonders if someone were to mistake him as such if they didn't know who he was.

"I was looking forward to purging this kingdom, you know." Ashido itches the back of her neck with the tip of her blade. "If the prince lies about Izuku's location then maybe we can share a bloodbath."

But Katsuki isn't as eager for that outcome. "It'll be more than a bloodbath if that happens."

"All the more reason to look forward to it," she says, smiling wider.

"You're kind of a bitch."

"That's probably why you like me so much."

He rolls his eyes but she's right, ultimately. "Go bother Kaminari. You usually talk his ear off anyways."

"True, but he's concentrated right now." Ashido pauses momentarily. "I remember when he first joined, Kirishima thought he'd be useless. I did too but he's proven to be really useful. And funny. Can't forget how important humor is."

Katsuki grunts but doesn't reply. It isn't often when people earn her praise but it seems like she likes Kaminari a great deal for some reason. In fact, several years ago Ashido was quite stoic and gave others the cold shoulder. But Kaminari wore her down and made her much more talkative, outgoing, and generally positive. Maybe it's his charisma but they get along very well. There's something about his energy that melts even the most icy composures.

As if on queue, Kaminari turns back to wave his hand forward. "We're almost there! I see something ahead."

It's true: Katsuki catches a glimpse of a gap in the trees that draws closer and closer. As he pushes past the last bit of foliage, he finds himself stepping into a clearing with Kaminari illuminating the darkness with his torch. Thick, twisted roots span across the forest floor with tall branches reaching the stars, but the canopy is so dense that not a single shred of moonlight slips through.

And of course, his eyes are immediately drawn to the man who stares before him, a lantern in one hand and a scroll in the other. It's a prince— the prince, most likely— with an elegant, royal blue cloak that's pulled over his head to keep his identity discreet. His most notable feature is his dual-colored appearance, however: his hair is split down the middle, one side red and the other white. His eyes are different too, a heterochromatic blue and brown respectively.

(There's also a nasty scar, glaringly obvious on the left side of his face. It's nothing beautiful either. Just grotesque and awful to look at.)

Still, his gaze seems to light up a bit once he spots Katsuki's entrance. The prince doesn't look happy by any means, but he does seem to be anticipatory of... something.

"Bakugou," he says coolly, raising his lantern a bit. It sheds light on his own cloak and Katsuki finds himself internally amused, recognizing the fabric as cashmere. Ridiculously fucking expensive. "I've been expecting you."

"Let's just get this over with."

Shouto doesn't seem taken off guard by the impatience. He only dips his head and moves a bit closer, a few meters away at this point. At this distance it's obvious that he's younger than Katsuki. Shorter than him, even as an alpha. The raw scent gives the status away almost instantly but Shouto probably isn't doing it on purpose.

"I know you tend to reject these sorts of exchanges, or you take what you can get before dismantling nations no matter what the prior agreement was. I'm hoping we can make an exception in this case."

"You'd have to produce a good argument," Katsuki replies, eyes narrowing. "I can,"

Shouto says. "You know about the agents, correct?" "Obviously."

"My father sent them out several months ago, hoping that it could help the inevitable. But I knew from the start that we would get to this point. He stubbornly thinks we can beat you but I know we can't."

It admittedly strokes Katsuki's ego but he keeps it in check as Shouto continues.

"I heard that you gained a mate and I told a few of the agents to keep an eye out for him, keeping the updates from my father and having them only relay the information to me. There was nothing, at least until the very day before your general put up the barricade," Shouto says. He doesn't show any signs of nervousness but Katsuki can still smell it on him. "It was a report from an agent last stationed in a town dozens of kilometers north of the border. He had given a sudden letter of resignation, which seemed... suspicious."

"A fucking letter is all you have? That's a waste of my time," Katsuki growls.

"Let me finish," Shouto continues quickly. "The middleman informant who relayed the message said that it reeked of omega. In fact, even when it got to me, I could still smell it on the report. You could probably smell it now."

And Izuku has a very powerful scent.

Katsuki's mind drifts back to the throne room, the tent, every single moment he spent with Izuku. In fact, the omega is completely blind to how strong his pheromones are and he probably has no idea that even if the bond isn't currently functioning, he can still be tracked. The hormone imbalance is so intense that he releases the most acute and signature scent out of anyone Katsuki has ever known.

His eyes drop down to the scroll, suddenly curious, but Shouto protectively curls his hand around it tighter. It's the only thing that makes his life useful at the moment, after all.

"But in exchange for both the letter and the last known location of this informant, I want something in return," the prince says. "Two things, actually."

Katsuki could probably tear out this idiot's throat and be done with it, but Kaminari gives him a look that urges him to wait and hear out the rest. Maybe keeping him alive would prove useful and it couldn't hurt to hear the rest of the conditions.

"Let's hear them."

Shouto gives a curt nod. "First of all, I want you to spare us. I know that it would put your image at risk so I came up with an alternative solution: our kingdom forfeits but you don't kill or enslave our people. Instead, we work as an independent colony and give you a share of our resources and earnings."

Huh. It's the sort of thing Kaminari has been suggesting since the beginning but the only reason why Katsuki has been reluctant is because he thoroughly enjoys the suffering of others. Still, it seems possibly doable.

"What's the second thing you want?" Katsuki asks, cocking his head to the side.

"I want to rule the government that's inevitably implemented in the colony,"

Shouto says. "A position of power, which would allow me to come out of this with my mind intact."

A smile draws across Katsuki's lips. "So you've heard."

"You torture royal families, you fuck them and then if they're lucky you kill them." There's a hard glint to his eyes, strong and standing. "My father is a garbage human being but my mother is innocent. My siblings are too, so I want them to be spared. If I have a position of power I can reobtain them if you send them elsewhere."

Silence hangs between them for several moments.

Katsuki watches him curiously but still, Shouto's composure doesn't shift and his demeanor doesn't change. Even as he takes a step forward, the prince freezes in place and only clutches the scroll tighter as Katsuki brings his hand to his neck. The touch is gentle, however: he slides his palm up, fitting it against the prince's throat. Firm yet unmoving, he doesn't squeeze.

And he holds it there.

His thumb brushes against Shouto's pulse and he rubs it with slow, tender circles. It drums quickly, like a hummingbird's heartbeat, and Katsuki quickly realizes the prince truly is rather terrified at the moment. He's just swallowed it down deep within his chest to force himself to be brave even among lions. "I don't think you know how lucky you are," Katsuki murmurs. "I've killed nearly everything I've ever touched and you're going to be one of the few who walks away without a scratch."

Shouto stiffens as the hand tightens slightly.

"I'm sure your father taught you manners, so what do you say at a time like

this?" he asks softly.

There's a brief pause as the prince gathers up the courage to speak, even if it's as low as a whisper. "Thank you." Katsuki keeps his grip for a few more moments before finally releasing him. Shouto instinctively takes a step back, allowing the alpha to take the scroll from his grasp. Once his hand is free he rubs his throat as Katsuki turns to leave.

"Mina, Kaminari. It's time to head back."

It only takes one whiff to know it's Izuku.

While Kaminari and Ashido ramble with each other about god knows what, Katsuki takes a moment to drag his nose along the length of the scroll. The scent is a bit faint after several weeks but it's there regardless: sweet and tantalizing, like honey or nectar. His pupils grow and his mouth waters, a spike of possessiveness aches within his chest. The agent is undoubtedly either an alpha or a beta which would make the situation rather problematic.

Whether he fucked Izuku or not doesn't matter, because Katsuki will kill him either way. In fact, with a scent like this he doubts the agent would be able to restrain himself for very long. It's powerful and clings to nearly everything the omega touches.

And even if the agent is no longer at the present location, Katsuki can follow the scent if the bond stays numb. Then Izuku would never feel him coming. It's truly a perfect plan and everything is coming together in just the right way to make everyone happy. Kaminari, Shouto, and himself all get what they want and if Ashido wants to kill a few more people then she's free to do so.

However, as soon as Katsuki steps foot back in his tent, he finds someone waiting for him.

Eyes dark, Kirishima stands with arms crossed. He's geared in battle raiment so he was probably just out in the field. Still, he looks absolutely pissed.

"I was looking everywhere for you," he says, furrowing his brow. "Where did you go? You should be resting."

"Fuck off," Katsuki hisses as he moves past him. There's a threshold of how much neediness he can take from people around you and Kirishima has been acting stranger than usual.

"Your hand needs to heal so you can return to the battlefield." His voice is a bit more stern this time and he turns to face Katsuki. "You have duties to fulfill. Just because I'm your general doesn't mean that I can do everything on my own. Taking your place back as the leader of this army is essential to your reputation—" "Shut up with all this god damn talk of 'reputation.' It pisses me off."

"Your reputation matters when you're the prince of a growing and thriving empire."

"I don't care about that right now," Katsuki growls. "I just had a meeting with the prince of the Todoroki empire. The war will be done by tomorrow and we'll be storming the capital."

His eyes narrow. "It's probably a trap."

"I took Kaminari's advice and negotiated to get better and quicker results than anything you could have given me." It's a big smug but like clockwork, Kirishima's gaze hardens. "Negotiated how? What did they give

you?"

"Izuku's location."

The energy within the tent comes to a standstill, and when Katsuki hears no reply, he glances towards Kirishima to find his expression frozen. Like he's processing shock or surprise but it's not quite registering just yet.

"His... location?"

"It was easy. Apparently one of Shouto's agents already found him so all I have to do is track his scent. It'll only be a matter of time until I have him again," Katsuki says with a shrug. "Funny how things work out sometimes."

"You can't possibly be thinking of abandoning your army to go after him," he whispers hoarsely.

"After the Todoroki kingdom forfeits, I'll be returning to the capital with Izuku. I'll need to be there for my pups when they're born. Mother will understand, and if she doesn't, she'll learn to."

Kirishima curls his hands into fists. "Your mother won't understand because Izuku is an omega and you were supposed to be mated to an alpha female."

"Love works in mysterious ways," Katsuki replies coolly.

"It's not love. It's anything but love," Kirishima snaps. "This is infatuation and you're throwing your status away for someone who was bred to be sex-crazed. People will think you're insane."

"You sound biased. Are you sure you're not projecting?" He says it with a dangerous smile, venom seeping into his voice. "Just because your omega father pumped out children like a rabbit doesn't mean that Izuku is anything like him."

Kirishima curls his lip into a snarl. "He wasn't my father."

"By blood he was."

"Don't fucking speak about him."

"I say what I want," Katsuki growls. "And both Izuku and my pups will be taken care of. They'll be royalty, unlike you were, and they won't be dressed in rags or left for dead."

"This is insane," Kirishima insists, eyes burning with newfound anger. "He's going to try and kill you again. His presence is a threat to your life and there's no way in hell your mother will allow an omega to step foot in the castle anyways."

"We'll see about that." But as Katsuki tries to step past him, the general blocks his way.

"I'm not letting you go after Izuku," he says coldly.

"Move aside, Kirishima." Katsuki grins, except this time, he's baring his teeth and ready to crack. His nerves are wearing thin and his instincts are kicking in. Anyone who stands between an alpha and their mate don't usually live to tell the tale.

"Izuku is going to ruin everything you've worked for. Everything we worked for." "No, because I'm going to break him into so many little pieces that he won't be able to do shit."

"You won't succeed," Kirishima hisses. "He's going to wait until the day you

let your guard down, and he'll kill you—"

Katsuki's frustration boils over and his hand quickly snaps around Kirishima's throat, gripping so tightly that the general gives a choking noise. Even as he tries to pull away, Katsuki yanks him close so they're only centimeters apart.

"You need to learn to shut the fuck up," Katsuki growls softly, patience wearing dangerously thin. Kirishima struggles against his grasp but Katsuki only squeezes, applying as much pressure as his rage will manage. "Don't step past the lines I've drawn. They're there for a reason and I shouldn't have to say this shit more than once."

The general's hands pry around Katsuki's hand in an attempt to get him off, gulping stiffly against his palm. His eyes are angry but there's something else there, yes, something Katsuki recognizes all too well.

Admiration.

It's sick and warped, like Kirishima had wanted to be put in place. Katsuki knows that the general has issues but it looks like he's spiralling out of control, desperate to keep the concept of "alpha" preserved in the confines of his mind. Kirishima wants him to act aggressively, to show some sort of sign that Katsuki's innate instincts are still bound to his genes.

It makes sense in a way: if there's a distinct hatred for omegas, then his obsession with alphas must have gone the other way. It's loyalty to an exaggerated, idealized concept and Katsuki isn't sure how he hadn't realized it before.

This is a problem.

"I'm not who you think I am," Katsuki murmurs softly, leaning forward a bit. "And I will never be that person. Whatever you think alphas are, what they should be... that will never be me. I do what I want and it should be obvious by now that I'm bad at conforming to expectations."

Kirishima bares his teeth but Katsuki keeps his grip firm and controlled so he can't slip away.

"So believe me when I say I will find Izuku," Katsuki continues as his voice lowers to a growl, "and I will take him for myself no matter what you or anyone else thinks. I will own him and breed him even if it's just to spite myself and spit on my own image, because I do whatever I want whenever I want to. You're a fucking fool for even thinking you could stop me." And with that, Katsuki drops him. Kirishima drops to his knees as he coughs, rubbing his throat as tears sting his eyes. He's heaving, swallowing quick breaths as his chest shudders.

"Pull this shit again and I'll kill you," Katsuki snarls, finally stepping past him on his way out.

The threat should be enough but things are still getting out of hand. Far more than they should, he thinks, so he makes sure to talk to Uraraka about keeping Kirishima under supervision and not allowing him to leave. Katsuki has the sneaking suspicion that the idiot might try to do something stupid to ruin everything and he might as well prevent it before it happens.

Slowly but surely, things are falling into place. Katsuki has tied up these necessary loose ends and the hunt is finally ready to begin. He's been waiting for this and his hands are itching to kill.

Izuku should be worried.

(Not that he knows what's about to happen.)

Master Todoroki,

It is with great regret that I inform you of my resignation. Your father will be displeased but I have been confronted with matters that require my attention.

Certain circumstances have arisen and I have found myself sentimentally driven to pursue a different direction. I know that the law most likely would not

understand but this is something I must do, nonetheless.

This is no decision made with impulse. I have been considering it for some time. Months, even. But I believe that life has presented me with a chance to right

some wrongs that I had taken when I was younger and I cannot afford to leave this be. Both selfishly for myself—I do not want to live a life of regret—but also to

help others who have been in positions similar to those who have lost themselves. Those who I could not have helped can be "avenged," though I am

not entirely sure if that makes sense. I want to make up for the things I have done wrong.

I have reason to believe that karma exists, as a concept. Life gives people chances to right their wrongs after great deals of suffering. It is a form of

redemption that can be taken if one wishes to acknowledge what they have done, to change such things, and to rebuild themselves anew. I think this is a

chance I have been given and I simply cannot waste it trying to fight wars that will prove impossible to win. The Bakugou empire is nearly unstoppable from

everything I have seen.

It would take a hero to tear it down, someone who can give hope and peace for all. I do not believe we will find that person in a lifetime. Not this one, and most likely not the next. The toll it takes to find more and more information indicating

the inevitability of death and destruction... the mental strain is something I simply cannot bear. I believe I am meant to change lives on a smaller scale and to shoulder anything with greater responsibility would eventually cripple me.

I am not Atlas. I do not think anyone can be. Not in a war like this.

Respectfully,

Ingenium

Chapter End Notes