i’d rather burn.

I’d rather burn than be loved improperly. Without reverence. Without devotion. Without honor.

I’ve been reckless before — a fighter bleeding out in every war for love. But this time, I retreat. I strategize. I refuse to lose my heart again.

As Sun Tzu said: “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war.”

I will not fight without first securing the win inside me. Even if it means walking away, scarred, denied, and still burning.