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My heart sank as I connected the dots.
This wasn’t just any facility.
It was probably one of Uhah’s projects from years ago. “And the doors… they didn’t open when they were supposed to?”
Grace nodded, her gaze not leaving the frantic children. “Look at them,” she whispered. “They trusted that the building was safe, that the doors would open in an emergency. But they didn’t. And all because Uhah took that bribe.”
The weight of the revelation was heavy.
Uhah’s guilt, his self-imposed isolation and torment, it all made sense now.
This nightmare was his punishment, a daily reminder of a mistake that cost innocent lives.
“That’s why he never approached me for help,” I mused aloud, guilt gnawing at me.
If only he’d confided in me, maybe we could’ve found a way to ease his torment.
Except, he didn’t want relief.
He thought he deserved to be punished.
Grace gripped my arm, her voice fierce. “We have to help him, Tix. We have to find a way to bring him peace.”
I shook my head. “We have to find the Ikmal plans first. We need to know where the secret exit is.”
I sighed, looking at the children who were now mere silhouettes against the blazing backdrop. “This is his deepest regret, Grace. A memory he can’t escape, no matter how hard he tries.”
We stood there, amidst the flames and the screams, both of us lost in thought.
Uhah’s voice, filled with pain and remorse, echoed again, “Forgive me.”
But forgiveness wasn’t ours to give.
The pain of the past weighed heavily on Uhah, and while we could try to help him confront his demons, true redemption was something only he could find.
Grace’s voice broke through my thoughts, her tone solemn. “He believes he needs to be punished for what he did. For all the lives that were lost because of his actions.”
I nodded. “Living in perpetual guilt, trapped in this endless loop of despair… no one deserves that.”
The flames danced higher, their angry tongues licking the night sky.
The cries of the children grew fainter, but the chilling echo of Uhah’s guilt remained.
* * *
The cries of the children grew more desperate, their panic palpable even in this constructed reality.
I could feel Grace’s instincts kick in; the maternal pull drawing her to the trapped young ones.
She took a step toward the door, a determined look on her face.
“Grace!” I warned, pulling her back. “If we intervene, we lose our leverage over Uhah. This is his reality, his guilt. We can’t just change things.”
Her eyes blazed with a mix of anger and compassion. “Tix, he’s going to die! If we can’t find some sort of closure for him, what’s the point of all of this?”
I hesitated, torn between logic and the sheer human desire to help, to fix things.
I looked into Grace’s pleading eyes, the decision becoming simpler. “All right,” I conceded. “Do it.”
