THE SHADOW OF THE SENTINEL

Generally, the word 'sentinel' is associated with a person or entity charged with watching, guarding, and protecting against dangers and threats. But what happens when the sentinel personifies the shadow of danger, threat, and manipulation?

One of the main red flags in these sentinels is their ability to create mirages of empathy through sad stories from their past, to justify and normalize certain behaviors. However, they're consciously weaving a web to bind and nullify you. They use the burdens of their own history as bait. When you empathize, you've lost an important battle. Then, they continue to invalidate your capacity for discernment and self-judgment. They can convince you that what you consider anomalous or disagree with is due to problems in your past. This happens because you've made the mistake of being honest and believing that you're in a safe place to trust and open up. You don't realize that, while sharing your secrets, fears, and hurts, you gave them weapons to attack and hurt you. The sentinels seek to establish their position of power and psychological control over you, even going so far as to sound eloquent and appear genuinely concerned for your well-being.

This is a vicious cycle that undermines your security, beginning to nullify you as a person and dimming your radiance. The sentinel feeds on you, your glow, and the beautiful things inside you that make you happy. Although it's a derogatory comparison to the poor hyenas, they resemble them, for they feed on what we might call your 'leftovers', since you represent what they could never be and, therefore, they despise you. Deep down, however, they believe that by consuming you, they'll gain that luster they lack and will always lack, for all they can show is a disguise that crumbles easily.

By the time you realize what's happening and try to set boundaries, it's usually too late. Then, they begin to show their true nature, the one they've tried to hide at all costs. In the end, the masks always fall, and when they realize that you're waking up, they release their anger and resentment towards you. They realize that their victimhood attitude no longer has any effect on you. Their role of victim changes drastically to that of a victimizer, and the physical abuse begins. This irrationality invades them, since, in their minds, you belong to them and you have no right to think.

The blows represent a physical transference of their miseries, and hitting another human being is one of the most cowardly acts, typical of a beast. They delight in doing it because it reflects who they really are. In a way, they're taking it out on you for everything they consider unfair in their own lives. They laugh at your pain and your obvious surprise and fear, as if they were hyenas. Their eyes reflect the evil they harbor inside. Then, they try to blackmail you and take advantage of any tool you've given them to hurt you, making you believe that your behavior provoked that impulse, because they'll never admit to being wrong. At that point, you have the real monster in front of you, not the person who is shown to the world as the suffering victim.

If you've reached this point, you must get away from that beast. Don't give it a chance to extinguish you, because I'm sure it can do it. At this point, feelings of fear, revulsion, confusion, anger, and guilt will overwhelm you. Don't feel bad about experiencing these emotions, they're normal. You're coming out of your prison and feeling vulnerable because they've orchestrated a manipulative strategy against you. Don't feel guilty about it, you don't deserve it. Move on, run, and build the strongest barriers you can because it no longer owns you. It has no authority over you, and you have the power to take it away.

Run, seek help, and activate your support networks. Don't stay silent because it's not your fault. If you feel that someone will judge you, be certain that your judgment is superior at this time. Don't let them minimize the situation. This is the time to raise your voice and regain your sense of power and strength. It doesn't matter what others think; be true to yourself and no one else. You're fighting for your safety and taking care of you. It's your will taking back control of your life.

At this point, you must be strong, as the irrational beast's had time to put on a mask of repentance and sheep camouflage. Its performance may be convincing, and it's had time to justify its aggression by blaming you. Don't believe any of this. Don't be swayed by false tears seeking forgiveness or solutions like couples therapy to get over the situation. There's nothing to repair or work on with this creature. It'll promise to fix everything and express its "love" for you in a desperate attempt to trap you again. At this point, you must choose yourself above all else, because there's no one more important than you in this world. It's all about you. Don't believe the words of a mermaid. You know what you must do, and the first step is to distance yourself to take care of yourself.

The sentinel will continue to press initially with a conciliatory tone and dialogue, but when it sees that you don't give in, it'll resort to more hostile tactics such as blackmail, threats, or intimidation. Don't let it consume you. Use what it's trying to hurt you with as your strength and make it clear that it's dealing with an opponent, and that its wiles no longer affect you. Remember that those who truly love you will continue to do so no matter what. Your friends and, in some cases, your family make up your support network to face the turbulence that this moment may bring, because the sentinel won't give up easily, but neither will you. You're regaining your brightness and your light, the same light that was being stolen from you. Now the sentinel is in the dark and is less rational than you imagine, so it's important to distance yourself and, for greater security, seek legal protection. While this doesn't guarantee your safety, it's a valuable resource, and you have a precedent to back up your situation. Use all the tools at your disposal to confront the sentinel. Don't allow it access to you or your loved ones. Therefore, it's crucial that you use your support networks to keep it away.

Then comes a rather challenging stage; guilt and anger invade you and you feel as if a poison is coursing through your veins. Do you know what that is? It's the desire for revenge. You want it to pay and suffer, which from a certain perspective may seem logical. However, I recommend you skip that step. You may think that if the sentinel was able to hurt you, it has paved the way for you to hurt it and cause it harm as well. You may spend a lot of energy thinking about how to hurt it just as much or even more deeply, how to bring it to its knees and make it suffer. But remember that will only darken you and turn you into a reflection of your sentinel. Don't give it that pleasure.

Talk to your friends or a professional; your energy deserves to be used for something better, like your recovery and forgiving yourself. It's tempting to think it should pay for what it did to you, but be honest with yourself: that won't contribute to your improvement. You are better than that, and you know it. Also, remember that karma knows all directions and, surely, is already programmed. You don't need to generate negative karma for yourself. Let life do its work. You can watch it from a safe distance and don't feel bad if you enjoy it. Besides, the sentinel has enough of a sad, miserable, dark existence. Indeed, there is no worse punishment on this earth than to be condemned to wander as a shadow.

If you see things get complicated, use legal means as a method of protection. You will do well, and don't be afraid to stand up for yourself. Your voice is valid and important. You and I both know that you could present a memorable case, and from a legal standpoint, show no mercy, as laws were created to be used. The decision is yours.

After all this, nothing will ever be the same again. Don't fool yourself into thinking it is possible. Something inside you has changed, and it is simply a new lesson. You will face fears, insecurities, and anxieties, and the road will not be easy. However, with the help of a professional and the support of your friends, you can rebuild yourself and become a better version of yourself. The challenges you will face can become your new strengths, so don't deprive yourself of them. If you need to cry, do it at any time. You don't have to be strong as an oak tree all the time. Allow yourself to feel your emotions and feelings intensely without fear. Treat yourself with love, see yourself with potential and feel capable of anything. Rekindle the light within you.

Don't let a negative experience define you. Take advantage of what you've learned and grow as a person. Remember that you're a unique and unrepeatable event in history, and there will never be another like you. You deserve the best. So beautify your life and go after it. Don't be afraid to feel fear or pain along the way, as they are part of the process. When the time comes for you to leave this plane, you will have done so on your terms and conditions, and you will have created the memories that you decided and wanted because you gave yourself the opportunity to choose.