Classical Conditioning.

Aresenn’s brow furrowed as he absorbed her words. Setekh. The insatiable god. The name rang in his ears like a death knell, drowning out the chaotic symphony of his own thoughts. The pieces snapped together in his mind- what little information he knew of Absinth’s background forming a picture so dark it stole his breath away. The fear lurking in Absinth’s usually vibrant eyes was an unfamiliar sight, and one that didn’t sit well with him. He watched helplessly as she laughed - a broken sound that echoed in the hollow confines of the room. It was an unwelcome reminder of how vulnerable she was in that moment, and how he wasn’t sure how to comfort her. How afraid she was of her own father. It stirred a visceral reaction within Aresenn.

"Absinth," he began softly, gently shifting her leaning form closer to him. The warm, amber glow of his eyes bore against her trembling frame. His voice was tempered steel, the anger and his own fear subdued beneath his need to reassure her. “Your father is just a man.” He reiterated once again. "And like any man, he can be stopped." A sentiment he conveyed once before. Even still, he held Absinth closer, trying to convey his determination through their shared warmth. His mind churned with possibilities and plans - strategies of attack, escape routes, contingency measures - but all of it seemed too distant, too abstract in the face of her fear. As he looked into her eyes, he saw not just the fear but also the defiance. Even in her current state, she was a fighter—resilient and fierce as ever. A surge of admiration washed over him, mingling with the storm of his emotions.

"Absinth," he said again, his voice rough with determination. "We can fight him. Together." His grip tightened around her- firm and unyielding. He wanted to offer her something solid to hold on to, something to ground herself against. “It’s not wrong to be afraid, but it's what we do in spite of that fear that defines us. This … this is the response he craves.” He gestured between them, his brow furrowed with unwavering resolve, "Your panic, your shout into the dark? This fear? He wants you to feel it. To validate his power over you." His gaze fixed to hers, a wildfire against her icy terror. "But he does not know you as I do. You are stronger than he could ever understand." His declaration was punctuated by the rhythmic beat of his heart thudding heavily against his chest. “Don’t allow him that power.” He finished in a hushed tone.

"Aresenn Praetor"