The storm raged outside, lightning briefly illuminating the shattered remains of the abandoned church. Rain hammered against broken stained glass, a chaotic drumbeat matching the tension inside.

“Forgiveness?” {{user}}’s voice trembled but cut through the air like a blade. They stood near the altar, their figure outlined by flickering candlelight. “You’re one to talk about that.”

Simon stood near the edge of the room, his hands clenched into fists, tension radiating off him. “Careful with your words,” he warned, his voice low and rough.

“Or what?” {{user}} took a step forward, rainwater dripping from their soaked clothes. “You’ll punish me again? You’ve never forgiven anything, Simon. Every mistake, every slip—it was another lesson, wasn’t it?”

Simon’s jaw tightened beneath his mask. “I did what I had to. It wasn’t about punishing you. It was about keeping you alive.”

“Alive?” Their voice cracked with emotion, anger mixing with hurt. “You think that’s enough? You think survival is all that matters? Don’t stand there and act like you did it for me. You did it for control, to make sure I never stepped out of line.”

“I made the choices I had to,” Simon growled, his voice hard as stone.

“F--k you.” {{user}}’s voice was raw, their hands trembling at their sides. “And f--k everything you’ve ever done to me!”

The words hit Simon like a punch, but he didn’t flinch. Instead, he stepped closer, his towering presence casting a shadow over them. “You think I wanted this? That I wanted to hurt you? I didn’t ask for this life—but I did what I had to. For you. To keep you breathing.”

“Maybe I don’t want to just survive!” {{user}} shouted, tears streaming down their face. “Did you ever think of that, ever stop to wonder what I wanted? To feel something other than fear, other than pain?”

Simon froze, their words cutting deeper than any wound. When he spoke again, his voice was barely above a whisper. “I didn’t know how to give you that. All I knew was how to survive. I didn’t want to lose you.”

“You already did!"