𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒

Verum vinculum

Octavia searched for her daughter and found her sitting on the kitchen. She quickly approached and placed a hand on Regan's shoulder.

"Sweetie, are you alright?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern.

"No, mom, I'm not alright. I feel like I'll suffocate if I stay in this damned place any longer," Regan said, her voice filled with desperation and frustration. "I can't stand it anymore. I don't want this."

"Regan, I don't want this either. But we have to be patient. He's not someone we can directly confront. We have to play along for now, until we find a way out," Octavia said, her tone gentle but convincing, "I promise you, we'll find a way to escape from here."

But Regan wasn't convinced. She didn't believe escaping would help.

"Even if we escape, he's going to find us," she said with slumped shoulders. "If we got rid of him once and for all, then we can finally be free."

"Get rid of him like what?" Octavia asked.

"Like....like....I don't know," Regan replied. "I don't want to kill him." And it was true, she didn't want to kill him. She wanted to get rid of Sirius, like to imprison him into the underworlds or just sent him light years away from her sight.

But when she thought how handsome and caring he was that morning, she felt like she was commiting a sin. At least he didn't take advantage of what she was wearing, he didn't even seem to look at her in that way. And that all added to her confusion and frustration. Not because she wanted him to look at her like that, of course, but because the belief that he had no honor and moral had wrapped around her heart like a vine and she couldn't be free of it. She didn't want to believe he had any good in him. And so, she called it all lies and manipulation, convincing herself that he was nothing more than a cruel, wicked ruler.

"You can't kill him even if you wanted," Octavia said, her expression unreadable.

"What? He-he's not immortal, right?"

"No, it's not about that," Octavia answered, "It's about....about you, Regan. If you were to kill him, the bond would haunt you forever. It would be a nightmare you couldn't escape. And even if you wanted to kill, him, he has allies, a whole mass of realms backing him up. We can't fight them all."

"But the bond, the bond has haunted me all that damn time," Regan said in frustration, "he has been haunting me for all this time!"

Her mother looked at her, her eyes filled with regret. "That's different, Regan. You don't know what killing him does to you. He's not just anyone."

"And it is the same about him? I mean, if he kills me, it won't haunt him?" Regan shot back, her voice trembling with anger.

Octavia took a deep breath, her eyes sad. "No, it's not the same. He has control of these powers, Regan. It wouldn't haunt him the way it would you."

Regan felt a knot in her stomach, her anger morphing into despair. "And how do you know that, mom? Have you seen what he's capable of?"

Octavia's eyes searched hers. "Yes, Regan. I've seen it. It's dark magic, my dear. It doesn't let one to feel as we do. He has obtained dark magic long ago, he is numb to experience the effects of such a bond."

"But-but he could feel my presence, I think," Regan murmured, her voice quivering.

"That's something instinctive, my love," Octavia said softly, stroking Regan's hair. "It's not the same as feeling remorse or guilt."

"But mom, we have to do something. We can't stay trapped like this," Regan said as her mother pulled away, "We need to set justice. He should be sent to prison."