A Traitor To Memory Novels & Stories

“I really don’t. But you’re tempting me. Every second you stay silent, you’re tempting me.” The silence between us stretched, thick and suffocating. Then, so low I almost missed it, he muttered under his breath, “I despise traitors.” The word landed like a slap. He yanked the door open and stormed out. The slam echoed down the hallway, sharp and final. I sat frozen on the bed, with my knees drawn up, and sheet twisted in my fists. Traitor. The word kept replaying in my head, louder each time. Traitor.

Ripping it off, a sight that made my blood run cold lay before my eyes. Cut into his very skin, a set of words awaited me and everyone else: “We don't take traitors.”

She disappeared down the road. It was too late for regret. Regret meant nothing when it showed up after the damage was done. A month passed before we heard about them again. Lyris lost a leg in the crash. The baby she had abandoned during her escape—her own child—died alone at home from starvation. She was found guilty of treason for siding with the rogues and betraying her own kind. The judges of the Kingdom of Volvia sentenced her to death, carried out with the harshest punishment allowed.

"I am sure you all remember how I used to roll out orders. I commanded all of you. You were all at my beck and call." The guards shoved him hard. " Now, roll out orders to the cold floor and rats that will soon come feast on you." Garrett stumbled, catching himself on the wall. The chains on his wrists clinked. The guard closest to him spat: "Do you even know why you are here? Have you even reflected on your evil past?" "Why should I reflect on the past? I am a man who forges ahead." “Since you are still in denial, let me break it down for you. You are here because you are a traitor.”

“Why? Are you sure?” “By wiping my memory clean, I am hoping to remove all military intel that I know. I am a ticking time bomb.” Jack’s eyes were filled with desperation. He didn’t want to be a traitor. He joined Ed’s team to be one of the best. He wanted to follow his dad’s heroic footsteps, instead one miscalculation ended turning him into trash. Regardless, he wouldn’t be a weapon in the enemy’s armor. Jack’s eyes filled with tears of desperation. He blinked them away and looked bravely at Ed “With new identity, at least it will take those who programmed me time to track me down. Before that I hope … no I pray the legendary triad or the Devil and his general will assemble and avenge me.”

I said. Silence snapped through the room. Travis looked away Mara looked at the ceiling like she had expected that one. Luca watched Dante and Dante watched me. “You keep saying that.” He said quietly. “Because you keep forgetting it.” I said. “I don’t forget anything about you.” He said as he stepped closer. But this time he stopped before the distance disappeared completely. It felt wrong. Soft and sharp at the same time. I looked away first and I hated myself for it. “Then remember this. The traitor is not going to look like a monster. They are going to look useful. Loyal. Necessary.” I said.

“One by one. I don’t care if they’ve sworn loyalty for years, if even one of them so much as flinches under questioning, I’ll know.” Roman nodded grimly. “I’ll handle it.” His tone promised broken bones if he had to drag the truth out of them himself. I paced to the far end of the warehouse, the echo of my boots bouncing off the walls. This wasn’t the first time someone slipped through the cracks. The delivery man had been freed under our noses just enough to attack me, and now Erin. Both times, it pointed to the same ugly truth, there was a traitor in my pack. My chest tightened, rage flaring hot and bitter. I hated traitors more than rogues. Rogues at least had the guts to stand against us

Until the cleansing was done, no one could get any closer. I looked at Marcus. The man who had bought me my first training uniform was also the same man who had almost killed me with his own hands a moment ago. His eyes were full of regret and fear, but I could not feel sad anymore. I could feel my heart slowing down. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cyrus edging backward. He wanted to slip into the forest before Victor called for the inevitable retreat. "Lucian..." I forced the words out of my mouth even when I was gasping. "Go… Go and kill Cyrus… He… He's a traitor!"

They were so disappointed and ashamed of me that they eventually committed suicide. Meanwhile, Francesca used me as a stepping stone. She packaged herself as an innocent and resilient streamer. "No woman would ever use their reputation to accuse a man," she said to her audience. "If I could, I'd rather not be famous because of my tragedy." Her oh-so-innocent words and her red-rimmed eyes immediately made her audience wish I were dead. After my release two weeks later, one particularly self-righteous netizen pushed me off an 18-story building.

┈◆┈┈◇┈┈•⊰⊱•┈◆┈◇┈┈ Leonardo ┈◆┈┈◇┈┈•⊰⊱•┈◆┈◇┈┈ The word TRAITOR had remained on my desk since the previous night. By morning, I had memorized most of the file Padrino gave me yet the information inside had produced more questions than answers.