Nyx sat in the living room, her fingers curled around the warm mug of tea Raphael had handed her. Across from her, Oscar and Isabella sat comfortably, their dynamic evident in the smallest gestures. The way Oscar rested his hand on Isabella's knee, the way she leaned into him ever so slightly—it wasn't submission forced by fear. It was something else entirely.
She had never seen a relationship like this before.
"Raphael tells me you have no experience with a healthy dynamic," Oscar said, watching her with casual curiosity. "That's going to change."
Nyx shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know if I belong in this… world."
Oscar chuckled, shaking his head. "Sweetheart, you were forced into a nightmare, not a dynamic. There's a difference."
Nyx frowned. Was there really? Submission, in her experience, had meant pain, fear, and absolute control by someone who never cared for her well-being.
Isabella must have sensed her internal battle because she reached out and placed a gentle hand on Nyx's arm. "I know how confusing it is at first. I wasn't always comfortable with this either."
Nyx turned to her. "How did you…?"
Isabella smiled softly. "I had a bad experience before Oscar. Not as bad as yours, but enough to make me fear trusting again. He was patient, though. He showed me what submission really means."
Nyx hesitated, glancing toward Raphael, who had remained silent, watching the conversation unfold. "And what does it mean?" she asked cautiously.
Raphael finally spoke, his voice steady and firm. "It means trust. It means knowing that no matter what, your needs will be met, your voice will be heard, and your limits will be respected."
Nyx's fingers tightened around the mug. "I don't even know what my limits are."
"That's the first thing we'll work on," Raphael said.
---
Understanding Limits
Later that evening, Raphael led Nyx to his study. The room was warm, lined with dark bookshelves, and had a large wooden desk at the center. A leather notebook lay on top, along with a pen.
"We're going to establish your soft and hard limits," he said. "This is something every submissive should do before entering a dynamic. I don't expect you to know everything right away, but this will help you understand yourself better."
Nyx sat hesitantly. "What if I don't know what I want?"
"Then we start with what you don't want."
She nodded, exhaling deeply. "Okay."
Raphael handed her the notebook. "Soft limits are things that make you uncomfortable but that you might be open to exploring under the right conditions. Hard limits are absolute no's—things that will never be on the table."
Nyx opened the notebook, staring at the blank page.
She hesitated before writing the first word: Pain.
Her hands trembled slightly. She had endured pain for years. Was she against all forms of it? Or just the kind that Severin had inflicted?
Raphael must have noticed her pause. "Pain can be both a soft and a hard limit, depending on the type," he said. "Some submissives enjoy impact play, but only if done correctly. Some don't at all. You don't have to decide now."
Nyx nodded, continuing her list.
Hard Limits: Non-consensual acts, humiliation, degradation, extreme pain, forced submission, permanent markings.
Soft Limits: Light impact play, restraint, sensory deprivation.
She put the pen down, staring at the words.
Raphael took the notebook from her, scanning it briefly before nodding in approval. "This is a good start." He set it aside and met her gaze. "You are in control of this process, Nyx. Always."
His words settled deep in her chest, filling a space she hadn't realized was empty.
Maybe, for the first time in her life, she would learn what true submission meant.
---
Trust and Control
Over the next few days, Raphael kept Nyx close, never pushing her but never allowing her to retreat completely into herself. He wanted her to feel safe, but he also wanted her to understand that submission wasn't about silence.
"You're not just here to obey, Nyx," he told her one evening after dinner. They were sitting on the couch, a book open between them, though neither of them had been paying much attention to it. "Submission is about giving control, not losing it."
Nyx looked down at her hands. "I don't know how to separate the two."
"Then let's start small," he suggested. "I'll give you a simple command, and I want you to tell me how it makes you feel."
She tensed slightly, but then nodded.
"Come sit beside me."
Nyx hesitated for only a moment before shifting closer, her body stiff as she obeyed.
Raphael studied her. "How does that feel?"
She swallowed. "Strange."
"Why?"
"Because I don't know if you'll punish me if I don't listen."
Raphael's expression softened. "I will never punish you for saying no."
Nyx clenched her hands in her lap. "That's not how it worked before."
"I know," he said gently. "But I'm not him."
She glanced up at him, searching his face for any sign of deception. But there was none.
Raphael reached out, resting a single finger beneath her chin, tilting her face up. "This is your choice, Nyx. If you ever feel unsafe, you can stop. If you ever feel uncomfortable, you can stop. You hold the power here."
Nyx's breath caught in her throat. The idea of having power in a dynamic like this was foreign to her. But the way Raphael looked at her, the way he spoke—he wasn't trying to trick her. He wasn't trying to break her.
He was trying to rebuild her.
Slowly, she nodded. "Okay."
Raphael smiled, withdrawing his touch. "That's a start."
---
A Friend's Perspective
Later that night, Isabella found Nyx sitting outside on the balcony, staring up at the stars.
"You look like you have a lot on your mind," Isabella said, taking a seat beside her.
Nyx sighed. "I don't know if I can do this."
Isabella tilted her head. "Do what?"
"This… dynamic. Submission. Trust."
Isabella smiled knowingly. "It's not easy at first. But you don't have to decide everything right now."
Nyx hesitated before whispering, "What if I never feel comfortable?"
Isabella reached out, gently squeezing Nyx's hand. "Then Raphael will wait. He's not going anywhere."
Nyx swallowed the lump in her throat. Could she really trust that?
For now, all she could do was try.