Lucien
Most people misunderstand control.
They think it means emotionlessness. Detachment. Cold restraint.
They mistake silence for discipline and distance for power.
Idiots.
Real control is awareness. It is knowing exactly what you are capable of— and choosing precision anyway.
Which is why the bond concerns me more than I am willing to admit aloud.
Because it reacts before calculation finishes. Because it sharpens instinct faster than logic. Because every hour spent near Aria makes restraint feel less natural.
Kaelith stands near the windows radiating territorial hostility strongly enough to alter the temperature of the room. Cassian remains steady beside the strategy table, grounding the emotional atmosphere without realizing how much influence he already has over it.
Eryndor
