*Damian’s POV*
I reached for her before opening my eyes, but only felt cooled sheets below my palms as I patted the surface. She had left, not leaving even a trace of her warmth behind. Finding her gone was like having a bucket of ice water poured over me, there was nothing settling about it. Through our bond I could sense that she was alright, and that helped a bit, but relinquishing control was hard. Having control made me feel... better... better than that which my father deemed me to be.
Exhaling a deep breath, I pushed myself to sit upright, taking in the emptiness of the room around me. Waking up to her would have started the day in a whole different light. But she wasn’t here, and without her there was no light. I had to trust her in her decisions. I had to let her go in order
