Pain.

That was the first thing he felt.

It throbbed in his side where the bullet had torn through flesh. It burned in his lungs with every breath. But worst of all — it weighed in his chest.

Because this moment… he had seen it before.

A past life. A different setting. A different war.

But the same betrayal.

And this time, she was staring at him like he was the enemy.

The Prison of Truth

They were taken to an abandoned facility — cold, metallic, suffocating.

He was shackled to a chair. She sat across from him, unrestrained but just as trapped.

The silver-haired man — the orchestrator of this all — paced between them, amusement curling on his lips.

“You were always a stubborn one,” he mused, looking at him. “Seventeen lives, and you still think you can outrun fate?”

His jaw clenched. “Shut up.”

A chuckle. “Oh, I will. But first, she needs to know.”

He turned to her.

And for the first time, she wasn’t looking at the silver-haired man.

She was looking at him.

Her eyes burned with questions. With doubt.

“Tell me”, She whispered. “Tell me what I don’t know.”

He swallowed. He wanted to. But if he did…

Would she hate him?

The Memory That Would Ruin Everything

The silver-haired man sighed dramatically. “Since he won’t, allow me.”

He flicked his fingers — and the world around them changed.

No, not the world. Her mind.

And suddenly —

She was there.

Not in the present. Not in this life.

But in a battlefield long forgotten.

Swords clashed. Fire consumed the sky. Blood soaked the earth.

And then — she saw herself.

A past version of herself, clad in Armor, a leader of her people.

And he — stood on the other side.

With his army.

With his blade.

With the enemy.

Her breath hitched. No.

And then, the past unfolded before her, as if time had never buried it.

“We can end this.” Her past self had said. “We don’t have to fight anymore.”

He had stared at her. Silent.

Regretful.

But then, he had done what he always did.

He raised his sword — And killed her.

Back to the Present

She gasped, yanking herself back into reality.

Her vision blurred, chest rising and falling in quick, shallow breaths.

She looked at him. The man who had protected her. The man who had bled for her.

The man who had —

Killed her.

Her hands trembled. “Is it true?”

His throat worked, but no words came out.

“Tell me the truth,” she demanded, voice breaking. “Did you kill me?”

Silence.

He could have lied. He should have.

But she deserved the truth.

His eyes met hers. Red. Haunted.

“Yes.”

The word shattered everything.

Her breath hitched. “Then everything — ” She swallowed hard. “Everything was a lie.”

“No.” His voice cracked. “It was never a lie.”

She let out a hollow laugh. “You expect me to believe that?”

“I had no choice.”

“There’s always a choice!” she snapped, pain lacing her voice.

He flinched. Because she was right.

And he had chosen wrong.

The Ultimate Betrayal

“See?” The silver-haired man smirked. “Now she finally understands.”

She shook her head. No.

This was too much.

He had saved her in this life. He had shielded her, fought for her.

But in another life, he had been the one who ended her.

She stood up abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor.

And for the first time since she had met him —

She looked at him with nothing but betrayal.

Then, she turned away.

And didn’t look back.

His chest tightened. He had lived seventeen lives.

But this was the first time he ever truly felt like he was dying.