"I'm telling you that if you become my anchor out of obligation or manipulation, it won't work. The bond requires genuine emotional connection. So yes – leave. Think. Decide what you actually feel versus what I've positioned you to feel. Come back only if you want to, not because you think I need you to."
She stood, feeling lost in ways that had nothing to do with tactical uncertainty.
"This is – you're impossible to figure out. Are you manipulative or honest? Using me or respecting me? I can't tell."
"Both. I'm both. All of it simultaneously." He stood as well. "I'm a manipulative person trying to be honest with you about my manipulation. A user trying to respect your agency while admitting I need you. Someone fighting corruption while asking you to help carry that darkness. I'm contradictory and complicated and probably not worth the effort."
"Then why am I considering it?" Her voice was almost a whisper.
"Because you're trapped too. Just like me"
