DRAWN DOWN A DARKER PATH

OR, THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS
WHAT YOU'VE DONE?

The plot of DRAWN has moved on, the seeds of betrayal have been spread in the furrows of actions at suitably regular intervals ;)

I'm struggling. I don’t want to reshape my character – he has a lot of good points – but, based on the facts as he knows them, he has made a decision with consequences. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about bravery. Fear. And the nature of cowardice.

With the empire under attack, what situation might make a person, abandon their friends, desert their responsibilities, run away or betray the people they love.

Having run away, if not the truth, what do they say when questioned by others? What do they believe, inside?

Later, could a character believe the lies they've told? Believe them to the point where they convince themselves that the fabrication is the truth?

If classic masculine qualities are physical strength, courage and calmness in the face of danger or adversity, could a person see themselves as brave if they abandoned their duty and hid? What if, putting themselves first meant they had to actively put someone else in danger? Betray a friend.

Are all lives equal? Is one life more valuable than another?

Should it be survival of the fittest? Surely, anything else is unnatural.

HAVE YOU EVER FOUND YOURSELF UNABLE TO SEND YOUR MC ALONG A DARKER PATH?