บท 589: TRIP DOWN GUILT LANE

AZAR POV

It's been four days now since Arianne had been under the control of Nyana. At first, I was awed by the fact, completely amazed that, for once, she was no longer thinking about her family. That fierce, relentless loyalty was stilled. All the fire that drove her, that drew me to her, was just...gone. Instead, she moved like a puppet, her eyes glassy, her actions thoughtless. She wasn't thinking about anything else either, at least not on her own.

On the first day, I couldn't help but revel in it. I'd wanted to break her, and this was better than anything I'd imagined. I could stand beside her, watch her empty gaze, and think, She's under my influence, even if it's only because Nyana controls her. It was almost thrilling, like I'd achieved something profound. She wasn't my Arianne, not in the slightest, but she wasn't anyone else's either. She was nothing, and that, I thought, was enough for me.