ThemoreIobserved,themoreIunderstoodthenatureofasuccubus.Theirpowerlayintheirabilitytodrawenergy,tomanipulatedesires,tocreateanoverwhelmingsenseofdependence.Washerloveformeagenuine,albeittwisted,formofaffection?OrwasImerelyavessel,asourceofsustenanceforherimmortalexistence?Thequestiongnawedatme,blurringthelinesbetweenwhatIwantedtobelieveandwhatIfearedwastrue.

Oneevening,drivenbyadesperateneedforanswers,Idecidedtoconfronther,oratleasttoprobetheboundariesofherdeception.Ideliberatelyexpressedadesiretoexploretheworldoutside,tomakenewfriends,toexperiencelifebeyondthecarefullyconstructedsanctuaryshehadbuiltforme.