Comment by ItsNotOverYet on Nordremo

It's fine, it's fine, I understand x) I sometimes worry too if I am expressing myself correctly because English isn't my first language to be honest...

I completely agree with your explanation, this chapter was all about symbolism and the parallels with Mellia's tale, which is heartbreaking because Shuraka was busy surviving and as a result has had no time to experience a deeper understanding of what love can be like. It's obvious he was a child that had to grow too fast, and that's why he still clings to things of comfort from his childhood (Tei, Tei telling him fairy tales from his homeland), because his adult life has none. The very fact he was relieved he "didn't have to stay a child" to be loved shows he probably hates his adult self because he was never shown actual love as one so far; he only remembers being cherished as a child, and he was clearly afraid Tei wouldn't like his adult self.

For now, he doesn't have the means to understand that love doesn't need to be romantic to be strong, and that's why he gave Tei that heartbreaking response: you don't love me as a romantic partner, so you wouldn't be able to find me. There's a mountain of other things to say about that statement and what it says about how was the last decade for him, but we'll have to see how horrifying exactly in the future chapters...

And it's fine, I like having a discussion x)