Paul’s face didn’t change.
“You were too far gone,” the king said slowly, as if each word weighed a hundred stones. “By the time the scouts caught up to you, dozens of our own soldiers were dead. You didn’t just fight the Soma army. You tore through your own ranks. Commanders. Medics. Supply teams. You... executed them all, Heiko. With no mercy.”
The world spun. Heiko shook his head violently, eyes wide, breathing erratic.
“No… No! I wouldn’t! I couldn’t! I would never—”
“You were feral,” his father continued, voice grim. “And we have proof. Witnesses. Survivors. Your commanders testified, and they had to stop you before everyone was dead.”
The words sliced through the last threads holding Heiko together.
“No…” he whispered again, but his voice was hollow. “Is not true… I was fightin
