The question hung between them, challenging Nala's carefully constructed rationalization.
'And you,' Zara continued, 'if these memories were just Dionz's creation, why show you running away? Why show you making mistakes? Why not craft a perfect love story that would ensure your loyalty?'
Nala fell silent, her certainty wavering.
'Maybe,' Zara suggested quietly, 'the real manipulation isn't in the memories or our feelings. Maybe it's in making you doubt everything that makes you human.'
The words struck deeper than either expected. In their shared space, the conflict between goddess and human, between doubt and faith, between fear and acceptance, continued to simmer.
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