From that night onward, Oberon became the family I never had, the only one I could truly rely on. I was grateful for him, more than I could express. He didn’t just teach me how to fight; he showed me how to survive—how to adapt to my circumstances and navigate the world in a way that would keep me alive. I learned how to feign interest in the lessons the nuns gave to the children at St. Augustine's, and I began to use that to my advantage. They offered me more freedom, less labor. In ...