Gratitude Shouldn’t Hurt
When Manipulation Masquerades as Mercy
Dear Adventurers,
What if the person who claimed to rescue you was also the one quietly scripting your downfall?
It started as a joke—just two friends imagining a twisted tale where one paints the other as the villain. But when all is said and done, the truth flips. The so-called hero is revealed as the puppet master, the villain cloaked in kindness. The one who claimed to save you was, all along, keeping you tethered to a story they authored.
Funny how fiction echoes life.
***Saga of the Unfated SPOILERS Ahead***
I’m reading A Curse Carved in Bone by Danielle L. Jensen, and this exact idea lives within its pages. King Harald of Nordeland is praised as the savior of the weak—a celebrated champion of the broken. But as a child of Loki, Harold doesn’t merely rescue—he schemes. He identifies people’s wounds not to heal them, but to use them. He “saves” only those he can bind to himself. He “empowers” only those whose power he can control.
It’s not love. It’s strategy.
And the most chilling part? Many don’t recognize the captivity. They mistake their chains for safety because they’ve been spun from gratitude.
If you’ve ever been in a complex or traumatic relationship, you might know this story all too well. A parent, a partner, a mentor, a spiritual leader—they gave you a way out. They stood by your side. They saw your potential. But over time, you realized the cost wasn’t free. In return for their help, they demanded loyalty. Submission. Silence. Praise.
It’s a quieter kind of control. The kind that doesn’t raise alarms. The kind that lets them stay the hero in everyone else’s eyes.
This is what happens when manipulation wears a savior’s mask.
True healing requires discernment. Not everyone who offers you a lifeline has pure intentions. Sometimes, their generosity is just another form of tethering—another way to keep you dependent, to keep themselves at the center of your story.
But you were never meant to orbit anyone else’s light.
One of the most powerful truths A Curse Carved in Bone offers is this: some people—especially those with god-blood—exist outside of fate’s design. The Norns, weavers of destiny, cannot bind them. They are unclaimed. Free. And that is you.
You are not beholden to the ones who “rescued” you. You are not required to remain small out of gratitude. Your healing belongs to you. Your freedom is not a debt to be repaid. And you don’t owe your loyalty to anyone who needs you to stay broken just so they can stay needed.
So ask yourself:
Who do I still feel indebted to?
Whose approval am I chasing in my healing journey?
And where have I mistaken captivity for care?
Dear adventurer, you are your own savior.
The most powerful rescue will come not from someone else’s hand, but from the moment you choose yourself—fully, unapologetically, and without conditions.
Let this be a season of courage. Of cutting the cords that keep you bound to half-truths. Of rewriting the story in your own voice. You don’t need to wait for someone to set you free. You already hold the key.
Because sometimes, the hero is just a villain with better PR.
And sometimes, the truest hero is the one who chooses to walk away, to grow, and to heal—without applause, without permission, and without chains.
A Thought for Your Journey
Gratitude should never be a chain. You can honor the help you’ve received without surrendering your freedom. Healing means knowing when to let go—and walk in your own power.
Or, If you’d like to support my work in a simple, meaningful way, you can buy me a cup of coffee ☕✨
Healing Roots, Transforming Stories, Cultivating You
Much love, Jae