Maximus entered his wife's room, his footsteps unusually soft as he approached her unconscious form resting peacefully on the bed.
Pulling a chair close, he lowered himself into it, his eyes fixed on her serene face. Gently, he reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek, his touch lingering for a moment.
"I really messed up, didn't I?" he murmured, a weary sigh escaping his lips.
Once, things had been different. There was a time when he had truly cared about his family, a time when their happiness had been his greatest treasure.
He remembered how happy he and Vivian was when they had their first child. He remembered promising to protect them, but somewhere along the way, he had failed to keep his promise.
He had let his quest for power blind him, turning him away from the very people he had sworn to protect.
