Ryaan sounded almost unhinged at moments like someone who had stepped too far into darkness. Yet, to Ivan, he didn't feel completely wrong. That scared Ivan more than anything. Their thoughts… their anger… their sense of justice… were frighteningly similar. As if both boys shared the same broken blueprint.
Ivan curled his fists tightly, nails digging into his palms. He was battling himself, forcing his inner emotions back down where they belonged. He needed to stay calm, clear his head. He had to remind himself he couldn't do what Ryaan wanted.
"I can't punish her. You know that," Ivan said finally. His voice was meant for Ryaan, but deep inside, he was saying it to himself. He needed to convince his own heart first. He couldn't think of his mother as a villain. He refused. He was only seventeen how could he turn against the woman who raised him, no matter how flawed she was?
"It's the only way to overcome this sadness," Ryaan said quietly, too quietly. He knew exactly where Ivan's weak spots were. He knew where to strike, what to say to break his beliefs, where to push until something snapped.
"It will pass… time takes everything," Ivan whispered back, trying desperately to sound reasonable. Trying to sound human. Trying to sound normal.
"No," Ryaan shook his head slowly. "It won't pass. It will stay here " he pressed his hand to Ivan's chest " hurting you again and again. You'll never smile again until you do it."
"She's my mother…" Ivan murmured. The words were barely audible. Everything he said felt like he was talking to a mirror, arguing with himself rather than Ryaan.
"She killed your father," Ryaan said with cold certainty.
"Don't say anything!" Ivan stepped back sharply. His voice cracked. He didn't want to hear it true or false. He couldn't let anyone stain his mother's image. His mind, his heart, refused to accept it. He was still just a boy, trapped between loyalty and grief, love and doubt.
"You have to do this," Ryaan insisted softly, as if offering help instead of pushing him toward a crime.
"She's pregnant," Ivan said. That one word pregnant was his shield, his last emotional defense. The ultimate reason not to hurt her. It was heart vs logic. Ivan's heart fought desperately, while Ryaan's logic was sharp, merciless, and twisted.
"The baby is also a killer of your father," Ryaan replied.
"No… you're wrong," Ivan whispered.
"You have to kill them."
"How could I?" Ivan's voice trembled.
"Like I did with my father."
Ivan froze. "…You did?"
Ryaan turned, his expression unreadable. "Come."
"Where?"
"I'm going to kill my father today."
"He's in a cell… isn't he?"
"No. He's out now. Parole." Ryaan's jaw tightened. "I'll punish him myself. For what he did to my mother. I'll never forgive him. Some people don't deserve forgiveness. They're cruel. Cruel people must die."
Ivan swallowed hard. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Ryaan answered without hesitation. "Then the sadness will ease. The invisible tears will fade. The tightness in my chest will disappear. The nightmares will stop." He smiled then a soft, broken smile. The kind that belonged to someone who had run out of choices. "My mother's soul will rest. And she will thank me."
Ryaan walked ahead, and Ivan followed. His legs moved but his mind didn't understand why. They stepped out of the mall while Jaya remained on the upper floor railing, still chatting with Marcus—almost forgetting Ivan was ever there at all.
"Where are we going?" Ivan asked once they reached an unfamiliar, narrow pathway that looked almost abandoned.
"To my old house," Ryaan said in a straight, steady voice. His thoughts were clear. His path was decided. "The place where he killed my mother."
Their footsteps quickened as they walked down an empty road leading into a forested area. The further they went, the quieter the world became. No people. No houses. No vehicles. Just silence.
Ivan felt his heartbeat rise. He barely knew Ryaan. One week. Only one week since they met, and yet he was walking deeper into isolation with someone whose mind was clearly breaking apart.
He was nervous terrified, even. His instincts screamed at him to stop, to turn around, to run. But he couldn't.
Something stronger than fear kept him beside Ryaan.
Maybe loneliness.
Maybe guilt.
Maybe because, deep inside, some of Ryaan's thoughts matched his own..