I was too shocked to reject her embrace. She gently wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her chin on my left shoulder.

  "How are you feeling?" she cooed.

  My heart was drumming and I couldn't stop shaking; my eyes welled up with tears.

  I cried.

  "M-Miya, what should I do!? I... I'm..." I was utterly lost. I needed help- any help I could find, even if it was from her.

  Miya raised a hand and guided my head to her chest. I felt the warmth of her skin against my cheeks. Instinctively, I tried to push away from her and run—all in vain, of course. She gently stroked my back and whispered sweet-nothings in my ear.

  "Shhhh, there, there. I'm here, baby. It's okay. There..."

  She tilted my chin up, our eyes now close to each other. Her face radiated love and concern. I was a sobbing mess.

  "Rex, baby. I'm so sorry. I thought it'd be nothing special for you. There was a lot of that in your stories, after all. I guess reality hits differently, huh? Do you want me to fix that?" I could sense the guilt in her voice, and she forced herself to a cheerful, disarming smile.

  "Unlike what you may think, my fix is nothing to fear. No pain should ever come to you; I would never allow it. I loathe the idea of pain ever afflicting you."

  I nodded in silence, chocking back tears.

  "No, instead, everything will be gentle. You will see these people for what they are: worthless automata, driven by instinct, acting on impulse. Self-centered meat bags filled with dirty, execrable thoughts. The truth can hurt, but I'll be here to comfort you. I would never think of leaving you, my love. The mere thought of it instills in my mind such torment that I have resolved to banish it from my thoughts forever."

  The imagery still vivid in my mind, I reacted.

  "We are the monsters here."

  "No, darling. They are. Don't worry, I will never try anything on you. I adore and worship you, body and mind, heart and soul. And I know you want to keep being the weaker one, to revel in my protection and care, riiight?" There was amusement and a teasing tone to her st words.

  I was at a loss for words, a regur occurrence since she came and made my daily life surreal.

  "Soon, you'll never be able to fall for another woman. I'm the only one you will eventually react to! From now on, no slut shall ever lead you astray, darling."

  She gaslit me without shame. Yet I didn't argue. I knew that giving in to her made me feel at peace and washed away all my worries. My disturbing thoughts left when she welcomed me into her arms. I was safe here, in her embrace. Each second gave me more insight into the easy, pain-free solution to the personal hell I was going through:

  Surrender.

  "...How do you pn to do that?" I murmured absent-mindedly.

  She giggled, happy with my inquiry.

  "It's already happening. My unwavering love and affection will melt away your troubles until you can't remember any of them. and I know how intense your reactions are to my strength; It overwhelms you so much that it could do the job by itself. Oh, I'll also teach you how to correctly view other people."

  Sirens echoed in the distance. Miya perked up.

  "Darling, are you feeling better? I need to get out now. I'll be quick, I promise." She said, nudging me.

  "Why can't I come with you?"

  "Huh? Baby?"

  "I want to face everything with you from now on, no matter how it might make me feel. I can't leave you, so I'd better acclimate, and fast."

  She smiled, grateful.

  "Of course! Here, take my hand~"

  ++++++

  I followed her, each step cementing my resignation. ...Me, a monster? I tried to make her tamer by pretending to fall for her. And then, to avoid going crazy, I did fall for her.

  But I wasn't ready for what I saw. Nor how I felt after, in Miya's arms. Fuck, am I a monster?

  She's reshaping my psyche through gaslighting and conditioning, slowly getting rid of what makes me human, limiting my dispys of humanity to her sole person. She leverages powerful emotions in me, like traumatic experiences, to her advantage.

  Miya assured me the process would be transparent and devoid of any pain, emotional or physical. I believe she would try to instigate some sort of Stockholm syndrome within me. The trauma would be the sights and sounds, and the solution would be none other than to take refuge in her arms. She'd both create the problem and frame herself as the solution. Miya would become my savior, and in time, I would desensitize to everything else. I hoped that was it—that the "fix" stopped there. I dared not consider the rest of her possible arsenal. Who the fuck knew what she really had in mind?

  Seeing the total control this girl had over my body and mind made me, perhaps ironically, accept it. "It can't be helped", they say in Japan.

  I never had a choice, but in the end?

  I was a monster, and I accepted it.