Common Sense Hijack System-Chapter 101 - Forget the revenge

Layla froze in Karl’s embrace. Her small body was still trembling, but slowly, her sobs began to subside. The cold night air felt a little warmer in the silence they shared.

After a while, Layla took a deep breath and wiped her tear-streaked face with the sleeve of her worn-out shirt. Her voice was soft but firm as she asked, "Karl... what really happened to me before? Why do you care about me? And how do you even know me?"

Karl looked deeply into her eyes. This was a moment he had known would come, but that didn’t make it any easier. He sighed heavily and leaned back, his gaze fixed on the cracked ceiling as if seeking strength in its imperfections.

"I wasn’t a good person, Layla," Karl began, his voice low but steady. "I had abilities—powers that I used in all the wrong ways. I... did things that are unforgivable."

Layla’s eyes widened, but she remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I could manipulate people’s perception of reality. Not in some grand, heroic way like in fairy tales, but just enough to make people believe things that weren’t true. I... I used that power to exploit women, to take what I wanted without caring about the consequences."

Karl clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white as his nails dug into his palms.

"And when I thought no one could stop me, someone did. A man from a race called the Homo Obscura came for me. They’re beings who can’t be fooled by illusions or tricks. He took me to a place I can’t even describe. And there... I was judged. Every sin, every crime, laid bare before them. And they decided I deserved to die."

Layla held her breath, her eyes glistening with unshed tears—not just from sadness, but from fear and sympathy mixed into one.

"But I escaped. Somehow, I managed to slip away from them, wandering through darkness and silence. And that’s when I met you, Layla."

Karl locked eyes with her, making sure she understood every word he was about to say.

"Back then, you lived on the fringes of a crumbling city. You shared your last piece of bread with me even though you were starving yourself. You offered me warmth when I had nothing left. That tiny act of kindness—it saved me. You saved me, Layla. You gave me a reason to believe I could change."

Layla bit her lower lip, fighting back the fresh tears threatening to fall.

"But that night didn’t end well..." Karl continued, his voice trembling slightly. "A group of thugs found us. They demanded money—protection money you obviously didn’t have. You tried to fight back, to protect what little you had left. But they were stronger... and crueler."

Karl paused, his voice catching in his throat.

"They almost... almost did something unforgivable to you, Layla. I tried to stop them, but... I failed. I was too late."

Tears welled up in Layla’s eyes again, but this time she didn’t look away. She stared at Karl, her face etched with anger, sadness, and fear.

"What... what happened to me after that, Karl?" her voice trembled.

Karl closed his eyes briefly before answering. "I summoned an Uncommon Guard—Undead Platinum—and I made sure none of them walked away from that night alive."

Layla went silent. Her small hands clenched into fists on her lap, her entire body trembling—not from the cold, but from the storm of emotions swirling inside her.

"So... you came back from the future just to... save me?" Layla asked in a fragile voice.

Karl nodded slowly. "Yes. Because in the world that’s coming, you’re important, Layla. You have something inside you—something that could change everything. But more than that... you’re the reason I’m still standing here today. You gave me hope when I had nothing left."

The silence that followed felt heavy, broken only by the faint sound of the wind rattling the window.

Layla looked at Karl with determined eyes. "Then... I’ll trust you, Karl. I don’t know what the future holds, but... I’ll trust you."

Karl smiled faintly, though his eyes glistened with emotion.

"Thank you, Layla. I promise, I won’t let you down this time."

That night, under the faint glow of the flickering lightbulb in a shabby apartment, two broken souls began to piece themselves back together. Outside, the world might be spiraling toward ruin, but in that small room, a new promise was born.

A promise to protect. A promise to atone. And a promise to never abandon each other again.

---

After a long silence, Layla wiped away the lingering tears on her cheeks. Her hazel eyes now shone with a determination rarely seen before. With a shaky voice, she asked, "Karl... what about Angeline? She’s the one who ruined my life. I... I want revenge on her."

Karl closed his eyes briefly before letting out a deep sigh. He had expected this, and he was ready for it.

"Layla," Karl began, his voice calm but firm. "I understand. I really do. What she did to you... it’s unforgivable. But right now, revenge won’t get you anywhere. The world we know is coming to an end. What happened in the past—no matter how cruel or unfair—won’t matter when the entire world is covered in ice and death."

Layla stared at him, confusion and suppressed anger flickering in her eyes. "How can you say that? She destroyed my life! She framed me, took everything from me, and—"

"—and the world is ending, Layla!" Karl cut her off, his voice sharp but filled with sadness. "An eternal winter is coming. The world will freeze down to its core. All revenge, hatred, and even ambition will become meaningless when survival becomes the only thing that matters."

Karl stood up and walked to the window, gazing out into the darkness of the night.

Layla looked down, her lips trembling, but she didn’t argue. Karl’s words hit her hard, but they also started to sink in.

"I’m not asking you to forgive her, Layla," Karl continued, his voice softer now. "You don’t have to forgive what she did to you. But you need to let go of that revenge if you want to survive. If you want to make it through what’s coming, we need to focus on something bigger—on staying alive, on protecting the people we can still save."

Layla bit her lip again, fighting back more tears. After a long pause, she lifted her head and looked at Karl with eyes full of grief but also a newfound understanding.

"What do we do now, Karl?" she asked softly.

Karl turned to face her, his gaze firm and resolute.

"We prepare, Layla. I can’t do this alone. I need you to be strong. I’ll train you, protect you, and make sure you survive the eternal winter ahead."

Layla stared at him for a moment before nodding slowly. Something shifted in her eyes—her rage and sorrow were now tempered with a fierce determination.

"I trust you, Karl. I’ll follow you... and I’ll survive."

Karl gave her a faint smile, but deep down, he knew this was just the beginning of their long and harrowing journey. The world they were about to face was merciless, where even the smallest mistake could mean death.

But for now, they had each other—and that was enough to take the first step.

Outside the window, the wind howled, carrying with it the icy whispers of the endless winter to come. And in that tiny apartment, two broken souls prepared to face the end of the world—together.