Lyra's POV
The deception sat before me like an offering I could not refuse. I grasped it with both hands.
"I realize how contradictory this sounds, being upset about something like this."
My words emerged softer than intended. I forced myself to look directly into his eyes, maintaining that connection even as shame began its familiar climb up my throat.
"The guilt of feeling angry is eating me alive."
I allowed my defenses to falter deliberately. Just a hairline fracture in the barriers I had constructed around my portion of our bond, enough for him to experience what I needed him to experience. The guilt flooded through that opening, genuine and cutting, and I observed his features transform as the emotion struck him full force.
"But the anger remains. Anger at you for somehow destroying that girl's sight."
The falsehood tasted bitter on my tongue, yet I pressed forward.
"I am furious because deep down, I understand this is fundamentally my responsibility."
