Ren stood beside Meiling's bed, the quiet drip of the saline bottle the only sound between them. Her face, usually so fierce and self-assured, looked small against the white pillow.
He felt his throat tighten.
"…I'm using you," he whispered, almost ashamed to hear it out loud.
His gaze lingered on her pale lips, on the bandage at her temple. I'm using their love for my own gain, he thought. Meiling included.
He straightened, jaw clenching. "Do I… hate you, Meiling?" he murmured.
The answer came instantly, before he even finished the question. "No," he breathed. "I don't hate any of you."
But that only made the weight in his chest heavier.
He stared down at his own hands. "What will all this cost?" he muttered. "All these women who could kill me… and I'm making them obsessed with me. Just to fight a goddess. Just to get my freedom back."
