Ilkar's expression darkened, his eyes blazing with an intensity that made Eiravyne's heart race.
He took a step closer, his presence almost overwhelming.
"You think you can just walk away?" he demanded, his voice low and fierce. "You think you can leave all this behind? It's not that simple, Eiravyne."
Ilkar's face was inches from hers. "You don't get to decide that. You're bound to this place, to this life…to me .. Whether you like it or not."
She gazed at Ilkar for a long moment, her voice trembling but resolute.
"I-I don't think I even have the chance to prove myself to you," she stuttered. "Y-you already think you know everything about me... The picture in your head is not going to change..."
Ilkar's intense gaze bore into her, but she held her ground, her heart pounding.
"I-I can't live like this," she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can't live with you h-hating me, t-treating me like I'm nothing."
