V was taken aback by Mizaelâs statement. âI wasnât aware that you had cried over us,â he said, somewhat quietly. From the look in Mizaelâs eyes, he knew that was no lie, and not an exaggeration. He frowned. This had affected him more than V imagined.
He listened in silence after that, frozen in shock. Even if he wanted to say anything, he could not. How was he supposed to react to this raw display of emotion? He was expecting a calm, cold explanation, but clearly, Mizael had broken his expectations. He felt like he should have done something or said something, but there was nothing he could have done.
And he swore that he was starting to feel pity towards the other. Mizael had done what he had to do for his world and for his kind. This was part of his role as a commander. In war, no one could be spared. But as Mizael said, it seemed like he had ended up taking down innocent people. Yet, even with the pity V felt in his heart for the BarianâŠ
"Mizael." V took a deep breath. "Iâm sorry. But for the moment, I simply cannot forgive you, and I cannot forgive your kind. Itâs still too soon." He felt like a demon for even saying how he felt. But after all, Mizael was the one who caused the most personal damage, and the Barians were the ones who had almost destroyed Earth. Barians were the cause for all of this.
V folded his hands on the table. This was not easy, and they probably both knew this. âHowever, I know that in time, I will forgive you. Please understand that everything is still too fresh for it to heal.â
He wasnât even sure if Mizael would understand his point of view. Even though he was clearly in pain, V could not bring himself to lie to make him feel better. He wished he could have just grit his teeth and told him all would be okay. But of course it wouldnât have been. Everything was a mess and, honestly, V did still blame the Barians for everything.
Though it was Fakerâs fault that Bryron had been harmed in the first place, V blamed the Barians for what had become of Tron. He blamed the Barians for the fact that their family was torn apart. He blamed the Barians for ruining friendships. And most of all, he blamed the Barians for almost ruining everything.
This was not a grudge he could let go of easily. It was a deep-seated rage that he kept under control under a cool façade. This was something he could no longer help.
"I do appreciate the apology. Really. Itâs more than what the others have done," V said. He wasnât even sure if the other six felt anything about this, either. But at least now he knew that one of them cared, and perhaps, that would have made it a little easier to begin forgiving their kind for everything they had done.
