"Trauma bond" is used correctly here.
Although I do think the term "trauma bonding" is not intuitive to what people think when they first hear it. ie. bonding over similar/shared/collective trauma.
I'm so tired of people defending Kloff, who did everything that makes a human a monster. He raped, beat, killed, forced pregnancy, abused physically, abused emotionally ,abused his power and knows what happened in the bottom so indirectly he let other abuse him the same physical of rape, isolation, hunger, physical, mentally, all under the excuse of revenge for his husband. I’m usually someone who sees both sides, but honestly, this comment blends everything criminal under the rug just because Aeroc’s POV was shown and we see he regrets his actions, not for one, but two lives.
He did spend his life regretting his actions. We don’t sympathize with Aeroc just because we saw him suffer; we also see how humans change due to trauma. You’re adding “trauma bonding” here without even realizing what it is. Trauma bonding happens when both people go through the same trauma with different people and find comfort in each other. There’s a trauma effect called Disorganized Attachment, which is what happens when the person you depend on is also the person you fear. The attachment system gets scrambled because the brain is trying to run toward safety and away from danger at the same time.
So yes, Aeroc did develop that after living in hell in the bottom. The situation you mentioned without an apology is also part of his trauma, caused by his father’s strict upbringing—where nobility didn’t show emotions, and if they did, they were punished. This is classic Disorganized Attachment: the victim has difficulty showing emotions and shuts them down. Later, Kloff’s abuse gave him alexithymia, where the victim is confused about what emotions to show or how to express them. He also suffers from PTSD, depression, anxiety, and learned helplessness, because he feels he deserves this abuse. So yes, readers are sympathetic because we see Aeroc suffer.
And now, Kloff “loved” Raphael? No, he didn’t. It’s canon in the second and third life. Even if Kloff in the third life admitted he loved Aeroc in the first life, he used Raphael as a substitute, showing off to him because of his inferiority complex. He abused Aeroc to drag Raphael into this. He may like Raphael, but that doesn’t excuse his actions.
Again, yes, Aeroc did terrible thing, but calling Kloff’s actions subtle in comparison and saying readers should sympathize with him indirectly justifies actions that are far worse. You expect we should be Cheering for Kloff for assaulting, beating, forcing pregnancy, lying to kids, and repeating abuse is ridiculous. Aeroc may have paid his price many times, but that is nothing compared to what Kloff did.
Kloff’s actions, which are some of the worst in the world, are being justified like: “Oh, he assaulted him, oh, he beat him, oh, he forced pregnancy, lied to your kids, gave them trauma—nahhh, Aeroc, you deserve it.”
I’ll argue two points, first that they did equivalent wrongs and second that kloff didnt like him and it was just trauma. What aeork did was wrong but the outcome was accidental. He wanted to frighten his cousin, but he was naive and had no real world experience so he couldn't anticipate what would happen. It completely freaked aerok out to the point he believed it was right for him to suffer. So it wasn't intentional as in the case with kloff. Kloff abused with purpose to make aerok suffer as vengeance. The extent of suffering was very much the goal. Another point id argue with is I do think kloff liked him but he was just the omegaverse version of homophobic. Most people dont seek vengeance by fucking someone and knocking them up six times. If he wasn't attracted to aerock kloff would have kicked his ass and left him in poverty or jail or idk challenged him to a dual or some shit lol another point I think alluded to kloff having feelings for him is that despite the fact aerok riled him up kloff went for an omega who everyone thought looked just like Aerok. I think it was intentional by the author. Raphiel was kloffs watered down more society appropriate version of aerock. I think had aerok presented as an omega earlier and been known as one in society he would have bagged kloff no problem. Which is another o i think this is all kloffs fault lol
CLOCK ITTT!!!
You hit the nail exactly. Thank you.
Tbf if somone killed my loved one bc of jealousy I wouldnt give two shits if it was intentional or not. We are not talking about someting small here, he killed a person, pregnant on that. The “victimisation” of the mc-s goes really deep with this one. Not saying what kloff did was good, but hell I would do the same to the person who practically destroyed my whole life just bc he was a spoiled bitch
God I just love you for writing all this. Also, not to mention that he literally MURDERED ONE OF HIS KIDS in the first timeline. And he was thinking about hurting Aeroc just so he wouldn’t be able to run away. Like…who tf thinks about hurting their partner like that?
No amount of revenge can justify raping and impregnating the man who “killed” your pregnant wife. Choosing to do that isn’t justice, it suggests the person was hiding disturbing desires and using “revenge” as an excuse.
Nobody said he was seeking justice. His pregnant omega was killed with his baby. And so cannot be justified Aeroc’s actions, he knew they were going to rape him, Raphiel was not only killed, he was raped and scared to death all alone meanwhile 5 male aplhas jumped him. He didn’t even have the smallest reason to do all that, so saying “he didnt mean to kill him” doesnt change anything. I get yall feel bad for Aeroc bc he was the mc, but basically what Kloff did to him was the same Aeroc did to Raphiel, except, Kloff left him alive and continued doing it. Also, Kloff had planned his whole life with his family and it was destroyed by some arrogant alpha bc he couldn’t stand that his obsession belonged to someone else. Kloff was not hiding any disturbing desires, having such a horrific experience happen to one, really does it change you. yes as you said he may have had a liking for Aeroc and bc of social judgments he hid it, but lets not forget Aeroc was a loyal meanwhile he was an ordinary man, and maybe this inferiority and frustration he felt was one more reason he did what he did. So saying its all Kloff’s fault doesn’t make any sense to me.
Just one note, from the third part of the novel that isn’t drawn yet it’s revealed Kloff was only interested in rapiel because of his resemblance to Aeroc. He couldn’t stand the fact he found a fellow alpha alluring and essentially used rapiel as a substitute. Has rapiel truly been the love of his life he wouldn’t choose aeroc in part three but he was too emotionally constipated to admit that in part one. Aeroc hiring people to “scare” rapiel was ofc still not good tho lol
Just one note, from the third part of the novel that isn’t drawn yet it’s revealed Kloff was only interested in rapiel because of his resemblance to Aeroc. He couldn’t stand the fact he found a fellow alpha alluring and essentially used rapiel as a substitute. Had rapiel truly been the love of his life he wouldn’t choose aeroc in part three but he was too emotionally constipated to admit that in part one. Aeroc hiring people to “scare” rapiel was ofc still not good tho lol
This is completely false.
1. Aeroc did not know the men he sent were going to kill Raphael, he wanted them to scare him off, which they them took it upon themselves to rape and kill Raphael. Nobody is justifying this btw, literally no one. Not even aeroc himself, who doesn’t complain once at Kloffs treatment towards him cause he feels he deserves it.
2.what Kloff did to aeroc is not remotely the same thing that happened to Raphael. Aeroc experienced starvation, children forcibly taken from him, locked in a shed, forced to stay in the slums, etc. and this torture was going on for YEARS.
3. Kloff is hiding desires. News flash Kloff loved aeroc. He imprinted on him, which is why he goes insane when he dies at the end of timeline 1. He was also attracted to aeroc since the beginning, but ignored this attraction purely because aeroc was an alpha.
4. THIS IS ALL KLOFFS FAULT, and saying you’d rape And impregnate the person who “killed” your wife makes you a weirdo too. Kloff didn’t have to rape and impregnate him, he could’ve simply killed and tortured him and everyone would’ve justified it, but he didn’t do that, why? Because he had sick and twisted desires that’s why.
It doesn’t take a genius to guess that hiring people from that valley would take things south. Its literally said several times during the story that an omega being there is practically him wanting to be raped.Sorry to break it to you but Aeroc in the beginning of the story its not the Saint you are making him to be. He was angry bc things didn’t go his way , he was simply used to having everything he wanted. As I said Kloff liked him but couldn’t be with him not just bc they were both alphas but as we saw in the second timeline, even if Aeroc was an omega to begin with, their relationship wouldn’t have been welcomed (the butler makes it pretty obvious). He also had ego as I said before, wich made him hate Aeroc even more. Yes Aeroc did understand his mistake and suffered a lot, but his lack on showing that, and acting in front of Kloff like he didn’t care, fuelled things even more. Their story is complex, you can’t say whose fault is what, they were both twisted and they both suffered a lot. Don’t you think Kloff was happy while doing all that and living like that. It was shown in his death he regreted all he did and resented himself for what he had became
Even in Second Life, when Aeroc actually acted like a matchmaking assistant for them, in Third Life he immediately distanced himself from Kloff, and Kloff still chased him like a madman. He even tried to kill himself, In the Second Timeline side story. In the lucid dream where Aeroc went back to the First Life, Kloff still said, ‘I admit my defeat. I will accept the truth. I love you, devil.’”
It’s obvious Aeroc isn’t some genius; he’s actually pretty damn dumb. We see that clearly in the second timeline, where he goes back to the man who tortured him for years. He also had no idea they were going to do that, which is why he sees Kloff’s actions as his punishment. No one is calling Aeroc a saint, so stop putting words in people’s mouths. And honestly, if Kloff had tortured and killed Aeroc outright, no one would’ve questioned it.
He also didn’t send those men after Raphael because he’s “used to getting what he wants.” He was in love with Kloff. I’m not defending him, you keep acting like I am, but it’s blatantly obvious he loves Kloff. Even while being beaten and raped in the first timeline, he still loved him. Literally as he's dying, he's asking for Kloff's love.
When exactly was Aeroc supposed to show Kloff any guilt? While he was being beaten? Raped? Giving birth? Having his children taken from him? The way Kloff interprets Aeroc’s behavior is entirely his own doing, obviously Aeroc isn't gonna speak against him BECAUSE HES SCARED OF HIM.
And saying “they both suffered a lot” is absolutely wild. That’s not an objective fact; it’s your opinion. Equating the suffering of a rapist and abuser with the suffering of someone who was raped, tortured, imprisoned, forced through miscarriages, etc, is insane. Of course, kloff hated himself, he spent years torturing the person he imprinted on.
lol yeah I forgot about that, even in the second timeline he’s still thinking of raping aeroc, that man truly is the same no matter what timeline
Im pretty surprised by the amount of hate towards the ML. I get that he was a piece of sht in the first timeline, but honestly so was the MC. I think the whole point is that theyre both kind of terrible ppl, and they have to learn to live with their regrets.
I also think there's more sympathy for the MC bc we see more of Aeroc's suffering, but Aeroc's faults are more subtle than Kloff, who violently acts out and is more explicit. We have to remember that in the first timeline, especially while Rapiel was still alive, Kloff genuinely loved him. He did not particularly care for Aeroc, as seen when Aeroc complains that Kloff never visited without a special summons. He was also genuinely distressed by Rapiel's passing. So to find out that your loved one, AND CHILD, was essentially murdered(and it was ok) by someone you barely knew, who wanted to take your partner's place, the resulting anger would be unfathomable.
Then years later, to see this person come crawling back with his head held high and not a single apology, i'd be pretty pissed too. Rather than love, the first season was more obsession/idolization on Aeroc's part and trauma bonded on Kloff's part. It doesn't sound very romantic but nothing about their situation in the first timeline is romantic. They were both shitty and left their lives with nothing but regrets. I think that's why the bond carrying over to the second timeline is so important, bc it helped them avoid the same situation.