THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC216: Miriam's Mental State
"Fuck, that was a close one," Klaus groaned as he forced his eyes open. He was lying in a large room with a huge, comfortable bed. His chest was wrapped in bandages, and his vision was blurry. His eyes felt like they were the heaviest thing in the world.
The pain in his chest and inside his body hit him hard as he slowly adjusted to the light in the room.
"Klaus," a weak voice suddenly called from beside the bed. Klaus knew turning his head would hurt, but hearing such a soft tone from Miriam, the War Goddess, he had to look. Yes, Klaus remembered every detail about everyone, no matter how small.
His brain and his skills as a Universal Enigma made it impossible for him to forget. Even if he didn't want to remember, his mind would hold onto everything. So when he heard her weak voice, he couldn't ignore it. There she was—Miriam, the emotionless, ruthless War Goddess, weeping like a baby.
Klaus didn't know much about her, but like any curious guy, he had used the internet to learn a few things. From what he found out, Miriam didn't like people.
Not at all. She hated humans. She protected them, but she despised them. Nobody knew why, but that's just the way she was. Ever since she started her rise to power, no one had ever gotten close to her.
According to rumors, she only liked one person—the Leader of the Overlords. Some even said they were sworn sisters, but aside from her, Miriam hated everyone.
So, to see her showing emotions like this, Klaus didn't need to be a genius to know she had broken down. Her heart and mind were clearly in chaos. The look on her face said it all and Klaus could tell she was in pain both mentally and emotionally.
"Miriam, help me sit up," Klaus said, trying to get her attention. As expected, Miriam moved quickly, climbing onto the bed to help him. Despite the searing pain in his body, Klaus sat up with her help, though his body kept reminding him just how much it hurt.
Klaus looked around the room and immediately realized this wasn't his. He leaned back, resting his head on the pillow behind him. Miriam, who had just helped him sit up, was about to move away when Klaus gently grabbed her hand. She tried to pull free, but she felt powerless.
You'd think someone with her strength could easily break Klaus's grip, but at that moment, all her strength seemed to vanish, and she just kept weeping.
"You know, if people saw you like this, they'd start thinking you've been faking the whole emotionless, ruthless War Goddess act," Klaus said, trying his best to lighten the mood. "Even I'm having a hard time believing it."
But he was right—Miriam didn't stop crying. Klaus was at a loss. He was far better at flirting with women than comforting them.
"Klaus... I'm useless," Miriam suddenly blurted out, her quiet weeping turning into full-on sobbing. Klaus's heart hurt for reasons he couldn't quite understand when he heard those words.
"Stop lying to yourself," he said softly. "Someone like you is far from useless. You're the protector of this whole region. A useless person could never do that."
Klaus knew why she said it. He knew she was blaming herself for not being able to save him—twice now—when he had been on death's door. It was too much for someone who claimed to be his big sister. But...
But Klaus stopped himself from finishing that thought. There was no point in digging deeper into her pain right now. Instead, he sighed and held her hand a little tighter.
"Miriam, you've done more than anyone could. I wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for you. Twice, you saved me when no one else could. So don't say you're useless. You're far from it. Just being here is more than enough"
Miriam's sobbing slowed, but tears still streamed down her face. She looked at Klaus with red, swollen eyes, her lips trembling. "But I couldn't stop it… I couldn't stop any of it," she whispered. "You almost died because of me. Twice. I am a failure."
Klaus shook his head, forcing a smile through the pain in his chest. "You didn't fail. I'm still here, aren't I? You got me out of there." Of course, he knew saying those words wouldn't make much difference but he still has to say them.
"Stop crying, Miriam. If anything, we should be happy I'm still alive. Who knows when I might try dying again," Klaus joked, hoping to lift the mood. But Miriam wasn't in any condition to laugh.
"Klaus…" she tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. Her mental state was too fragile. "I couldn't do anything right. I couldn't save you… I couldn't save Big Sister. Mom was right. I'm just… I'm just a useless thing," she choked out, and the dam of tears burst again.
Klaus held her hand tightly, feeling that he was finally getting closer to the real source of her sorrow. But he didn't push. He just let her feel his presence, hoping she would open up in her own time.
He wouldn't let go. Klaus knew for her to be this devastated over his near-death experience, something deeper was going on. It had to be psychological.
"Klaus, do you think I'm useless?" she asked, her voice shaky, as she looked at him with eyes he would never forget. The pain in her gaze, the need for validation, and the overwhelming self-doubt were all too clear.
'What happened to her to make her feel like this?' Klaus's heart ached, not from any lustful thought but from the sheer agony he saw in her eyes. They were the eyes of someone who had doubted themselves for a long time, someone carrying an immense burden of guilt.
She looked broken, sad, and completely unsure of herself. Klaus could see it as plain as day—the need for validation, the desperate search for acceptance. There was no mistaking it. And in that moment, Klaus understood that Miriam was in deep pain, far beyond anything she had ever let anyone see.
"Miriam…" Klaus started softly, choosing his words carefully. "You're not useless. You're far from it. Whatever happened in the past doesn't define you, and it doesn't make you less of the person you are today."
He didn't know the full story, but he knew he had to reassure her. Miriam wasn't just some cold, emotionless goddess. She was human, with wounds of her own. And right now, she needed someone to remind her of that.
"Klaus, I'm not a good person. I'm not a good sister. I always let down the people that mattered the most. I'm the worst," she cried, her voice cracking under the weight of her emotions.
Klaus tightened his grip on her hand and shook his head gently. "Hey, hey, stop that," he said softly but firmly. "You are not useless. And I'm not just saying that because I clearly want to steal your heart."
Miriam paused for a second, still crying, but something about Klaus's words made her listen.
"No, I mean it," he continued. "From what I've seen, someone who made my mom smile every day can't be useless. I don't care what anyone's said or what you've been through, but know this—you'll never be useless in my eyes. Far from it."
Klaus raised her hand to make sure she was focused on him. "So stop blaming yourself and read my lips: you are not useless. You hear me?"
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Miriam stared at him through her tear-filled eyes, her breath hitching as she tried to process his words. The doubt was still there, but Klaus could see a flicker of something else—a spark of belief, or at least the hope for it.
"I… I don't know…" she whispered, still uncertain.
"You don't have to know right now," Klaus said gently. "But trust me on this. You're worth more than you think."
With the little strength he had left, Klaus gently pulled Miriam closer, placing her head on his chest despite the pain that surged through him. His Overlord Healing was working overtime, but the ache still persisted. Even so, he didn't care. Miriam needed this moment more than he needed relief.
"Miriam," he whispered, "it's okay."
She wiped her tears, her breath still uneven. After a while, she muttered "Klaus, I want to tell you a story,"
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC217: Past Wounds
She wiped her tears, her breath still uneven. "Klaus, I want to tell you a story," she said softly, her voice steadier now. Klaus felt his heart skip a beat—finally, she was about to open up.
He nodded, letting her take her time. "I'm listening," he said, his voice gentle and patient.
Miriam closed her eyes for a moment as if gathering the strength to speak. She clutched his shirt a little tighter, and then, with a shaky breath, she began.
"It's about my sister… and how I failed her," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. The pain was still there, raw and deep. Klaus stayed quiet, knowing this was the story she'd been holding inside for far too long.
"I wasn't always like this," she continued. "Cold, distant. I used to feel things—happiness, anger, sadness. I used to care. But something happened… something I could never undo."
Klaus felt her body tremble slightly against his. He didn't interrupt, just held her close, offering the comfort she desperately needed.
"She was everything to me, Klaus. My sister... she was my light. But I wasn't there when she needed me the most. I couldn't protect her," Miriam's voice broke, and she paused, struggling to keep her emotions in check.
Klaus's chest tightened. He didn't need to say anything; he knew this pain ran deep, deeper than any wound his gentle touch could heal.
"What happened?" Klaus finally asked, his voice low and tender, urging her to continue when she was ready.
Miriam took another deep breath, her grip tightening. "She died. And it was my fault." Klaus listened closely as she began telling her story.
It turns out, she wasn't always the cold and ruthless goddess everyone thought she was. In fact, she was far from it. What she revealed shocked Klaus—she was the daughter of one of the five great clans on Earth.
Yes, the five great clans. Besides the Legacy families, who rule the eight unions, and the great families that govern the cities, there are five other clans. From the little she shared, these clans are even more powerful and mysterious than the Legacies.
Even before the apocalypse, they were incredibly powerful. The oil conglomerates, the energy companies, the mining moguls, and all the influential organizations on Earth—these are the great clans.
Governments respected them greatly, and their influence was supreme. Miriam is the second daughter of the first wife of one of these great clans. She and her older sister were the only daughters of that first wife.
Yes, before the apocalypse, the rich and powerful often had many wives. It was only after the apocalypse that ordinary warriors began following the same practice.
Miriam loved her sister dearly, and she was the only one she truly cared about. However, because of their status as business moguls, they weren't allowed to go out and play with their peers. But Miriam was a wild card.
Despite the scolding and disappointment from her parents and even her step-siblings, she didn't care. She would always sneak out to have fun. Sometimes, she'd come home late, only to be protected by her sister, who always waited up to help her sneak back in.
Though her sister hated doing it, they were sisters, so she always helped Miriam whenever she got into trouble. This continued for a while, until one day, Miriam guilt-tripped her sister into taking her to a sword competition at a dojo far from home.
Since her older sister had more privileges to go out, Miriam knew she was the best person to help her. So, after using some underhanded means, which she greatly regretted later, her sister agreed to take her to the competition. Even before the apocalypse, Miriam had been fascinated with swords.
Long story short, after the competition—which she lost, by the way—she convinced her sister to take her out for ice cream. They could've gone home much earlier, but she didn't want to. She did everything she could to spend more time with her sister, knowing she wouldn't be able to go out on her own later.
However, while she was having the best moment of her life, the sky darkened, and the apocalypse descended. It happened so suddenly that before they could even understand what was going on, chaos erupted around them.
She panicked, but before despair could take over, her sister started leading her away. They knew their father wouldn't have let them go out without some kind of protection, but the chaos was overwhelming. By the time they reached their car, her sister was bleeding everywhere.
Miriam could have stepped up and taken her to a hospital or done something, but she froze at the sight of all the blood and her sister struggling to breathe. Before she snapped back to reality, the parking lot was packed with people rushing to get into their cars.
She could have acted, but instead, she just stood there, watching. That was when a car came out of nowhere and ran over her sister.
Miriam stayed frozen in that spot for two whole hours, just staring at the space where her sister had been. Eventually, she passed out. When she woke up, she was back home. That was the day her family disowned her.
"She looked right at me, Klaus," Miriam said, her voice trembling. "She smiled at me, so warmly. She could have survived if I hadn't been so useless." Tears streamed down her face like a flood.
"They didn't even let me say goodbye to her," she said, clenching her fist in anger and sorrow.
"I killed her. I know I killed her. All she wanted was to go on a date, but I guilt-tripped her—no, I blackmailed her—into taking me to some stupid sword competition. And because of that, she died. I was useless, cruel, and emotionless to her feelings. I'm a bad person."
Klaus continued to listen as she began cursing herself, saying all kinds of hurtful things she could think of.
"No, you're not," Klaus said finally. "You were just a kid who wanted to have some fun. Nobody knew this would turn out this way."
Miriam shook her head, her expression filled with pain. "You don't understand, Klaus. If I hadn't forced her to take me, she would still be alive. I keep replaying that moment in my mind, wishing I could change it. I can't escape it."
Klaus took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "Miriam, we all make mistakes. You were just a child, and you didn't know the world would turn upside down. Blaming yourself won't bring her back."
"But it feels like I should have known," she replied, her voice breaking. "I should have seen the signs. If only I hadn't been so selfish…"
"It wasn't selfishness; it was just a desire to bond with your sister. Everyone has regrets, but you can't let them consume you. You need to forgive yourself." Klaus's eyes softened as he looked at her. "She wouldn't want you to live like this."
Miriam paused, staring down at the bed as tears continued to fall. "How can I move on? How can I forgive myself for something like this?"
Klaus sighed. "You can start by honoring her memory. Live your life in a way that would make her proud. Turn this pain into something meaningful. Fight for others, help them, and be the person she believed you could be."
Miriam's expression softened, a hint of a smile breaking through the sorrow. "You really think so?"
"Absolutely," Klaus said, his voice steady and encouraging. "You're not just some average person. You're the goddess of war in this entire region. That's a huge responsibility. You're already honoring her by fighting for others. You're strong, and you have the power to make a difference."
"But what if I'm not enough?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. .net
"Then you keep trying until you are," Klaus replied. "No one is perfect. Everyone has doubts and fears. It's what you do with those feelings that matter. You can't change the past, but you can shape the future. Embrace the love she had for you.
Let it guide you."
Miriam nodded slowly, the flicker of hope in her eyes growing brighter. "I want to believe that. I really do."
"Then believe it," Klaus encouraged. "You've already taken the first step by acknowledging your pain. Now, let's turn that pain into strength. Fight for the people who need you. Fight for her memory."
"Thank you, Klaus, I really needed to hear that," Miriam said softly after absorbing his words for a while.
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