I stared at Derrick’s back, my mind racing as I tried to process the scene in front of me. I was absolutely shocked to see him standing there, acting as a wall between me and the literal devil. He was putting his life on the line, facing a creature of ancient nightmares, just to keep me safe for a few more seconds. It was a strange, heavy feeling in my chest. I remembered everything Derrick had done to me. He had been responsible for so much pain in my life. He was the reason my father was gone, and he had been the one to shatter my heart into a million pieces after I had gathered the courage to confess my feelings to him. He had even been the one to sentence me to death, treating me like I was nothing. But seeing him now, bruised and bleeding but refusing to move, something shifted inside me. This act was so brave and so heroic that I felt a part of my old anger start to melt away. I couldn't forget the past, but in this moment of life and death, I found myself forgiving him.
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