Shen Ru's hand clung to the man's neck, his palm resting over the artery.
All he had to do was squeeze a little harder, then harder still.
The man would suffocate to death and belong completely, utterly, to Shen Ru alone.
The Puppeteer would no longer come between them, and no third person would covet him.
Mo Yu had killed Shen Ru before, and Shen Ru had killed Mo Yu too.
But those things had happened in dreams or illusions. This time was different.
No wonder Mo Yu had wanted to keep him captive. Having someone all to himself felt so wonderful.
At that moment, Shen Ru's malicious thoughts grew wildly in a mire of rot.
Endless darkness burned amid the decay.
He knew Mo Yu was indulging him.
Shen Ru felt as though a piece of black cloth had been draped over his eyes, filling his vision with boundless gloom.
He knew perfectly well that he had no feelings left to spare for his parents' deaths. Even watching them die before him again had barely stirred him.
Yet for some reason, a voice seemed to scream madly in his ears:
Kill Mo Yu. Didn't he say this wouldn't end until one of you died? While people are alive, their minds can never be controlled. Only through death can you take complete control of someone's life, just as Father did to Mother.
Shen Ru blinked.
There was no denying it. He agreed, and the temptation was very real.
But rather than having Mo Yu lie lifeless at his feet, Shen Ru wanted things to stay as they were now-to keep savoring the sight of the man bowing before him, abandoning his usual cold, cruel demeanor, fretting over a single sentence, a single word, even a single glance from him.
Just