"I didn’t mean to hurt you, Ollivara," he said softly, his voice a gentle murmur. "I may be brutal, even to you, but I’m only being honest. We all have our inner monsters, and they’re both merciless and deadly. But with time and discipline, I’ve learned to control mine. It’s taken centuries." His gaze was intense, sincere. "You’re still so young, and you’re not ready to face that kind of darkness alone."
I took a shaky breath, the weight of his words settling over me like a dark cloak. Despite the fury I felt toward him, a flicker of understanding crept in. He wasn’t just trying to control me. He was trying to protect me from a darkness I wasn’t sure I could face alone. But that didn’t mean I was willing to surrender my autonomy, to let him make all the decisions for me. I had to carve ou
