I AM Kaelor Thane: The God Of War

The Accusation

The Accusation

Thane POV

I just couldn’t get a hold of her presence. Every time I saw her, I wanted to walk away, yet at the same time, I wanted to know more about her, it looks as if she already charmed me. Before I even realized it, she was walking toward me, with her long hair flowing, busty and striking, so alluring. The moment she spotted me, her strong presence hit me, carrying a strange feeling of nostalgia.

“Hi, Commander Thane,” she said in a brisk, warm voice that was so unique it almost startled me.

“Hi, Lieutenant Shawn,” I replied, my voice tensed and breaking a little.

She sensed the tension and weakness in my tone. For a moment, I could see in her eyes she thought it was the loss of my comrades that had shaken me.

“I’m sorry for the loss of your comrades,” she said gently. “I know what it feels like. I know the pain and trauma this might have caused you.”

Then she paused for a heartbeat before continuing. “I want you to brace yourself, no matter what.”

For a while, she sounded like my mother. I couldn’t imagine her words being so soothing and calm. This wasn’t the person I expected her to be. I had expected her to be ruthless, exactly the way I was. I had to reply immediately before my silence spoke for me.

“I’ll brace myself, Lieutenant Shawn,” I said patiently and calmly. “I won’t let this have a hold on me.”

She walked closer to me. Her nearness made me uneasy, and for a moment I wondered why she was getting so close. I found myself pulling back little by little.

But instead of saying anything else, she gave me a tight hug, so warm and unexpected. It had been so long since I’d felt that kind of comfort.

“I trust you,” she whispered. “You have great potential, Thane. Always be yourself and don’t let anyone or anything define you.”

I couldn’t believe it. Why would Shawn hug me and say those encouraging words out of nowhere? It was unbelievable and yet… encouraging.

Before I knew it, a few of my fellow soldiers were walking past, witnessing the whole scene.

“Are they spying on me again?” I wondered bitterly.

One of them muttered loud enough for me to hear. “He wants to climb up to Lieutenant Shawn’s position. That’s why he’s flirting with her, trying to build a connection. What a disgrace.”

Another sneered, “He can’t even give his late comrades a proper farewell. All he knows is treating everyone as rivals so he can claim a higher position. We’ll see where this leads him , a whore and complete lunatic.”

A third voice said, “We’ll report him to President Mark Wilson. If he keeps behaving like this, he’ll destroy the Army’s reputation in the U.S. We’ll bring him down no matter what.”

Their words burned. I didn’t know what they were planning or plotting, but this hatred was beyond ordinary.

After Shawn left, her scent lingered on me. I couldn’t believe I’d felt such comfort from her. Even though it scared me at first, now it had melted something inside me.

I went back to the hall where the memorial for my fallen comrades was still going on. I could hear murmurs about me everywhere.

“He’s just wasting his time,” someone from the crowd said. “Soon the president will strip him of his title and the so-called ‘God of War.’ Then he’ll learn his place. Not everything that glitters is gold.”

Another voice added, “It seems he didn’t even know about their deaths. He’s been away all this time, and now he just walks in from nowhere. Who does he think he is?”

I heard all these whispers, from lower-ranked soldiers to my own colleagues. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly who said what. But one thing was clear, I was surrounded by enemies and foes, who aren't grateful for things I've done for them in the past, I've almost sacrificed myself years back, making sure we will every battle we faced, but due to my one and only single mistakes, they are willing to bring me down...

**********

Viktor Karsov and Damien Cross had already called the president, telling him lies about me. They claimed I had intentionally plotted the deaths of my comrades with Sahil, the notorious terrorist, so that I could climb to a higher rank. Everything they told President Mark was a bloody lie.

And President Mark, who no longer seemed to see any potential in me, believed every word. He was even willing to take legal action according to the U.S. Army’s laws and regulations.

Viktor and Damien walked in boldly, deadly smirks on their faces. I knew that look every time I saw it, something bad was about to happen.

But before I could listen to whatever they were going to say or do, the MC called me to give my final speech for my dead comrades.

I mentioned all their names carefully. I made sure they all knew who Lysander was to me.

Lysander had been my favorite among my comrades. Though small in stature, he was the wisest of us all. His death had carved a deep hollow in my heart.

“But forever in my soul,” I ended, “his name will be engraved in the pillars of my heart.”

Some in the crowd grew even angrier at me after that.

“He’s happy some of his soldiers died because they weren’t his favorite,” someone spat. “He’s a coward. He doesn’t deserve to be in the Army.”

Others barked, “He gave himself the title of ‘God of War.’ He’s an imbecile, a madman. We’ll see where this leads him.”

Their responses were so discouraging. If this was how my life would continue, I would have to find a way to grow even stronger.

Viktor and Damien approached me abruptly, their stern, evil looks burning into me. Before I could even ask why they’d been waiting for me and not even giving me a chance to rest or have a moment to myself, they spoke.

“President Mark Wilson wants to see you,” Damien said coldly. “In the White House.”

I was stunned. Every time the president personally summoned a soldier, it meant something serious or something bad is about to happen.

I paused, thinking wildly. "Why does he want to see me?"

“You’ll know when you get there,” Viktor replied rudely. They both gave me a horrible stare.