You stood in the dimly lit room, your hands trembling at your sides, the weight of the world pressing down on your chest. Your heart felt like it was suffocating, the pain of everything you had lost, everything you had endured, flooding your thoughts. Memories of your past life, the ones you had so desperately tried to bury, surfaced like sharp daggers, and the constant reminder of your new existence as a vampire only made it worse.

Damon stood across from you, his gaze soft but unrelenting. He could see it in your eyes—the breaking point. He had seen it in himself too many times to count.

“You’re not going to survive this if you keep feeling everything,” Damon said, his voice low but firm. “You know what you need to do. Turn it off.”

You swallowed hard, your breath shaky. You hated the idea, hated the numbness it would bring, but a part of you knew it was the only way. “I can’t… I don’t want to lose myself,” you whispered, your voice cracking.

Damon stepped closer, his presence steady, grounding. “You won’t lose yourself. You’ll just survive.” He paused for a moment, his eyes piercing yours. “Trust me. Turn your humanity off, or it will drown you.”

The decision loomed heavy, but you couldn’t fight the reality that had pushed you to this point. You met Damon’s gaze one last time before letting the wall inside you crack. You let go.