Page 196 of Knot Their Fated M.U.S.E

Before territorial dispute can escalate into physical confrontation, Corvus's clinical voice cuts through mounting tension with characteristic precision.

"Press won't kill Jinx," he states with certainty that acknowledges institutional reality while providing tactical reassurance and logical framework for continued advancement.

His confidence proves so absolute it draws immediate attention from pack dynamics toward individual assessment and information gathering.

All four pairs of eyes shift toward him with curiosity that transcends simple tactical interest to encompass genuine concern about knowledge sources and institutional understanding.

"Why?" Sable questions with judicial precision that demands a comprehensive explanation rather than simple assertion or unsupported confidence.

Corvus continues methodical skinning of some exotic fruit that none of us recognize despite institutional provision.

Where the hell did he even get that thing?

The chamber contained refreshments and basic furniture when we arrived, but fresh fruit wasn't part of the standard entertainment package or celebration provision.

Not that anyone feels inclined to question mysterious fruit acquisition when more pressing concerns demand attention.

His knife moves with surgical precision that transforms simple food preparation into artistic expression, each cut revealing flesh beneath protective exterior with methodical thoroughness.

"I made a deal with him," Corvus responds with casual delivery that transforms devastating revelation into conversational aside, "or else I was going to kill myself after Jinx was taken."

The admission hangs in recycled air like a suspended sentence.

Suicide threat used as a negotiation tactic.

Institutional blackmail disguised as self-determination.

Psychological manipulation is applied to administrative pressure rather than personal survival.

The casual tone makes the confession more disturbing rather than less.

Understanding that enhanced perception allows Corvus to read institutional personnel with devastating accuracy, psychological assessment provides leverage that transcends simple subject status or administrative hierarchy.

He knew exactly what buttons to push.

What threats would prove effective against institutional investment and entertainment value?

How to transform systematic weakness into tactical advantage.

"You threatened suicide to protect me?" I question with a mixture of gratitude and horror at the psychological manipulation required for such systematic emotional extortion.

The implications prove staggering.

Someone willing to weaponize their own mortality for pack protection.

Emotional investment transcending self-preservation in favor of strategic advantage and territorial loyalty.

Love manifested through systematic psychological warfare.

His dark eyes meet mine with intensity that acknowledges both tactical necessity and genuine emotional investment despite clinical delivery and analytical detachment.

"Logical conclusion," he responds with characteristic precision that reduces emotional sacrifice to practical consideration and strategic assessment. "Dead subjects provide no entertainment value. Dead Omegas generate no revenue. Dead pack members eliminate audience investment."

The clinical framework can't completely mask underlying emotional motivation.

Strategic reasoning serves a genuine connection despite attempts to maintain psychological distance and analytical objectivity.

Understanding that some truths prove too dangerous for direct acknowledgment when survival depends on maintaining tactical facades and emotional protection.

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