Lucian didn't answer her.
Envy stood close, her golden eyes half-lidded, watching him like a predator with infinite patience.
She had made her move.
Now, she was waiting for his.
Lucian exhaled slowly. "I'm not a pawn."
Envy chuckled. "Of course not."
"I won't let you control me."
She grinned. "I wouldn't dream of it."
Lucian's jaw tightened. Every word, every smile—it was calculated. She wasn't pushing. Not yet. She was letting him dig his own hole.
"I take what I need to survive," he said finally. "Not because I enjoy it."
Envy's expression didn't change, but something in her gaze sharpened.
"Is that what you tell yourself?" she murmured.
Lucian ignored her. "You can talk all you want, but I decide what I take. And when."****"You're just along for the ride."
For a long moment, Envy just stared at him.
Then—she laughed.
Soft at first, then rich with amusement, genuine and entertained.
Lucian's eyes narrowed. "What's so funny?"
"You, dear thief." She leaned in, smirking. "You think setting a boundary means anything."
Lucian didn't react, but he felt the shift in the air.
"You already took from Kael. And you will take again. And again."
She raised a hand, tapping her temple. "You feel it, don't you? The pull?"
Lucian didn't answer.
Because he did feel it.
Every time he fought, every time he saw someone stronger, the thought was always there.
Could I take it?
Would it make me stronger?
"You say you decide," Envy continued, circling him slowly, "but you're already thinking like me."
Lucian exhaled, forcing his voice to stay even. "I choose when to stop."
Envy smiled, stopping beside him. "Of course you do."
Her voice was so gentle, so reassuring—like a lie he wanted to believe.
She turned away, stretching lazily. "Well, I won't argue. Keep pretending if it makes you feel better."
Lucian's fists clenched.
She was letting him think he had won.
He knew the game she was playing.
And yet, somehow, she was already ahead.