Fallen General's Omega (BL)-Chapter 262: Sentinels once again

Victor POV

"Just go," Raul grumbles, folding his arms.

I hesitate.

Roman lets out a sigh, his sharp eyes studying me.

"This is the best time to talk to Thorne," he says. "When he’s like this."

I fidget, shifting from foot to foot, then take a deep breath before stepping into the large greenhouse. The moment I enter, I’m engulfed in the scent of earth, flowers, and something distinctly fresh—life thriving in this secluded sanctuary. It’s nothing like the battlefields we’ve walked before, where blood soaked the dirt and decay hung in the air like a curse.

Instead, this place is vibrant. A piece of heaven.

A long pond stretches through the center of the greenhouse, its surface adorned with clusters of lily pads that bob gently in the water. Dragonflies flit across the surface, their translucent wings catching the dappled light filtering through the glass ceiling. Rows of flowers bloom in wild yet purposeful chaos—roses, violets, and strange, otherworldly flora that Thorne must have cultivated himself.

A watering can floats lazily through the air, as if it has a mind of its own. It hovers above a bed of delicate blossoms before suddenly veering off, dipping into the pond.

I track its movement as it disappears behind a dense cluster of purple flowers.

That’s where I find him.

Thorne is kneeling on the ground, fingers buried in the soil as he meticulously weeds the garden. His golden hair is longer now, tied into two small puffs near his forehead.

It’s... cute.

I blink, immediately banishing the thought.

The Crimson General—cute?

A vivid image flashes through my mind: Thorne standing amid thousands of corpses, his uniform drenched in the blood of his enemies. That ruthless, unyielding man is the one I know. That is who he is.

Yet, here in this quiet, sunlit greenhouse, he looks... different.

He glances up at me, blue eyes briefly assessing, before returning to his task. He doesn’t acknowledge me beyond that, simply continuing to pull out weeds and brush soil from his fingers.

"What is it?" he asks after a long moment.

I don’t respond right away.

He doesn’t press. Just works.

It’s strange seeing him like this—so at ease, so distant from the battlefield, the war, the destruction. But I know better. I know Thorne Alden does not change. This is just another side of him, one that has always existed beneath the surface.

Still, I force myself to speak.

"I want to move here." My voice sounds steadier than I feel. "I already bought land from Roman."

"Okay."

That’s it?

No questions, no remarks. Just okay.

I clear my throat. "And it seems like my son and your daughter are friends..."

"I’ve noticed," he says simply, still not looking up.

I rub the back of my neck, searching for the right words, but it’s Thorne who breaks the silence first. freewebnoveℓ.com

"My beloved star told me to, quote, ’fix it.’ Because if things continue as they are, we’ll be in each other’s lives for a very long time."

He finally stops what he’s doing and sits back on his heels. His gaze meets mine, steady, unreadable.

"I’m so—" I begin, but he cuts me off.

"There’s nothing to apologize for, or forgive."

His voice is calm. Unshaken.

"I’ll admit, when I lost Noelle, I was angry. Too angry. And in my rage, I made decisions."

Decisions.

That’s one way to put it.

He didn’t just make decisions. He caused a civil war, tore through the capital like an avenging god, tortured the Crown Prince until he begged for death, and unleashed a plague on Boring. Entire cities burned. Millions of people died. And now, he sits here, surrounded by flowers, speaking of it like it was nothing more than a bad temper tantrum.

I swallow my thoughts.

"But," he continues, "I’m not remorseful. If I could turn back time, I would do the same."

My fingers curl into fists. I want to argue. I want to shout at him.

But I don’t.

Because, deep down, I know he’s telling the truth.

He would do it all over again.

Thorne sighs and wipes his hands on his pants. "You were always different from the rest of us," he says. "As the youngest of the sentinels, the last to join, you had... something we didn’t."

He pauses, as if searching for the right words.

"You had a moral code. You were... normal."

I scoff. "I’m not."

A sharp laugh comes from behind me.

I whirl around to find Raul standing there, arms crossed.

"The gig is up, guys. We’re caught," he announces, smirking.

Felix groans, stepping out from behind the trees. "You were caught. Why bring the rest of us into it?"

Roman chuckles, brushing dirt off his hands.

Thorne sighs, standing up and dusting off his pants. "Since you’re all here, might as well continue what I started." He turns to Felix. "You’re in charge."

Felix looks offended. "What? Why me?"

"Really? Any of you know anything about gardening?" Thorne raises a brow.

The floating watering can lands in Felix’s hands. He stares at it like it’s personally offended him.

Thorne turns back to me. "Victor. Are you sure about this?"

I hesitate.

"I haven’t changed," he continues. "At some point in the future, I might make horrible decisions again."

We hold each other’s gaze.

I nod.

He studies me for a moment longer, then suddenly reaches out and ruffles my hair.

The small, almost affectionate gesture catches me off guard. It’s so natural, so casual, that my chest tightens with something I can’t name.

He turns away before I can react, walking toward the exit.

I blink back something suspiciously close to tears.

Roman clicks his tongue. "What are you standing around for? Join us."

He shoves a trowel into my hand.

I sigh. "This is stupid."

"And yet," Raul grins, "you’re still here."

I look at them—at the people who have been with me through hell and back. At Thorne, who is already disappearing through the greenhouse doors, leaving behind a trail of blooming flowers in his wake.

Yeah.

I’m still here.