The Curse of Strength

Caius's POV... ...

(Years Ago)

I was seven years old when I learned that strength could be a curse.

The night smells like rain and iron. Even now, years later, I remember it too clearly—the way the wind rattled the wooden shutters, the way the hearth fire flickered low, the way my mother's breathing came in short, terrified gasps.

I was awake because I was always awake.

Because when yo