063. Guilt

Anna gazed at the vorshk girl for a moment before pressing one of the small buttons next to the door. A flat, white screen descended from the ceiling, covering almost the entire side of the room where the entrance was. Anna then unbuttoned her jacket, folded it, and placed it under Nadezhda's head as she lifted it carefully. The cornrow-haired girl then removed a black clip earring from her left ear and placed it on a device with a hole perfectly sized for the earring.
"You should know what really happened in your kingdom's territory," she said as she activated the device next to Nadezhda's head. "This recording is taken from what Mr. Adiwira saw."
Suddenly, the white screen that stretched in front of the lower part of Nadezhda's bed emitted light before displaying the familiar scenery to the vorshk girl. The tunnel leading to the Vorshkony gate. Nadezhda felt as if she were Bayu because the screen showed everything the man saw, complete with the sounds he heard.
"No human can survive in the Vorshkony territory," murmured the vorshk girl, her head turned toward the screen.
"Mr. Adiwira and his son Jalu belong to Division 96, a special task force from Indonesia," Anna explained. "They’re not ordinary humans."
“Do they come from another realm?” Nadezhda asked, surprise flickering in her voice.
“No. Indonesia is a country on the other side of this world. They've undergone extensive genetic enhancements and brutal training, turning them into something beyond the ordinary," Anna said, her tone steady as she tapped an icon on the device, freezing the scene on the screen. "You fought Jalu. What did you think of him?"
“He’s strong, yet compassionate. For a moment, I was truly afraid of him. But he showed mercy... even spoke to me as if I were a friend. He didn’t hide his feelings like other men I’ve known. He is... a strange man. An intriguing man."
Nadezhda’s eyes, though fixed on the screen, seemed distant, as if the memory of Jalu weighed heavily on her thoughts. Anna caught the subtle shift—there was a reverence, almost a longing, woven into the vorshk’s tone. It was a rare vulnerability that flickered briefly but unmistakably.
Anna’s gaze softened in response, a quiet understanding settling over her. The faintest smile tugged at her lips, a brief glimpse of empathy. Without a word, she tapped the icon again, and the screen flickered back to life, displaying the frozen moment of Bayu’s journey as if it hadn’t been interrupted at all.
Nadezhda opened her mouth to speak again. However, what was displayed on the screen made her refrain from doing so. On the wall-wide screen, a vorshk warrior guarding the gate was visible. Nadezhda then observed what Bayu had experienced in his kingdom. She saw how the hospitality of Jalu's father ended in a confrontation, how Bayu found Bogdan's transmutation room, and the moment he spoke with his father, King Gnevomir.
The face of the vorshk girl remained unchanged as she witnessed Bayu fighting hundreds of vorshk alone after his offer was flatly rejected by Gnevomir. Nadezhda's expression stayed flat even when Bayu's spear pierced her father's head. However, wrinkles began to appear on one side of her face, the side that still retained a human appearance, as Davorko walked towards Bayu. The girl struggled to contain the emotions raging within her.
"Allow us to bear all the mistakes made by Princess Nadezhda," the commander said, kneeling respectfully. "But I implore you to allow Princess Nadezhda to live on the surface!"
Simultaneously with Davorko's words, all vorshks dropped their weapons and joined in kneeling. Suddenly, everything became brightly lit on the screen, followed by a continuous hissing sound as the screen turned black. The Black Capsule swallowed by Bayu had exploded, cutting off the visual transmission and ending the recording. Silence immediately enveloped the room where Nadezhda lay. It was so quiet that even the faint sound when Anna took off her clip earring and turned off the device she was using seemed deafening.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Anna said.
"Even in his final moments, Commander Davorko still thought of—"
Nadezhda's words were abruptly cut off by her stifled sobs. She cried even though no tears escaped her. With utmost care, Anna clasped the hands of the vorshk girl. A gesture of pure compassion that only intensified Nadezhda's weeping. Patiently, Anna allowed the girl to cry as much as she needed, gently stroking the blonde hair of the princess.
"I... I feel so ashamed of what Mr. Adiwira endured in Vorshkony," Nadezhda whispered once her sobbing had quieted. Her voice trembled, each word heavy with guilt. Although her eyes couldn’t produce any tears, remorse clearly reflected on her gaze. "Whatever punishment you decide for me, I am ready to accept it. All of this... it's my fault!" Her hands clenched tightly at her sides, as though bracing herself for the judgment she believed she deserved.
"My task is to record your memories and thoughts with this device." Anna pointed to a small device resembling an audio mixer on a shelf above the tool she had previously used to display Bayu's visual recording. "Afterward, my superiors will determine the verdict for you."
"Do it, Miss Anna!" Nadezhda said firmly.
The cornrowed girl let out a soft sigh, her smile gentle as her fingers grazed Nadezhda’s forehead. With delicate care, she smoothed the strands of the vorshk’s hair, tucking them neatly back into place as if offering a silent comfort. "This procedure will be quite painful. And all your memories will be recorded for further review by my superiors. Do you object?"
“Why should I object when I don’t even deserve to live, Miss Anna? Do whatever you wish." Nadezhda’s voice was hollow, her gaze distant. "I’ve long forgotten what pain even feels like.”
Upon hearing Nadezhda's words, Anna moved swiftly. She retrieved two objects resembling headsets and gently placed them over the vorshk girl's ears. Her fingers danced across the device’s buttons, activating it with a quiet hum. The screen flickered to life once more, displaying projections from the apparatus. This time, it showed a recording pulled from Nadezhda's subconscious—the Light, the Crown Princess of Vorshkony.