"He saved you so you'd trust him more. Everything is manipulation with him. And now you're defending him while he's literally losing his humanity in front of you." Aldric's voice was passionate. "Seria, please. Step away from him. Let me handle this."
"Handle this how?" She didn't move.
"However necessary. He's a threat to the kingdom, to the Saintess, to you. He needs to be stopped before he loses himself completely and becomes the monster I know he is."
Damien laughed – cold, humorless sound.
"The hero wants to kill me to save me from myself. Poetic. Stupid, but poetic."
"I want to stop you from hurting anyone else when you lose yourself entirely." Aldric's blade remained ready. "Seria, last chance. Step away. Let me do what needs to be done."
Seria stood between them, feeling the weight of impossible choice.
Aldric represented righteousness, duty, everything she'd been trained to value. Clear morality, approved methods, the safe path that everyone would support.
