[ Her ears are ringing. She knows it now that she's heard it again, outside of her dreams. Screaming, chattering insects and the reek of rotting flesh. This was the sound that had spurred her awake and made her scald her skin in the shower to try and rid herself of the feeling it had left. And here she is — she's invited it back into her skin. Isn't she a fool?
The feeling that locks Ai's spine isn't quite ice. It's something colder and older. Recognition. Warning sirens. The knowing that she can never, ever forget no matter how long it's been because nobody, not even a girl as stupid as Ai, ever forgets a lesson that was beaten into them. She made a mistake, didn't she? She pushed too hard. She asked too many questions. She demanded things that a girl like her has no right to demand. Having someone be here with her, being kind, holding her, even if it was a lie — couldn't she have accepted that? Couldn't she just have put up with it? Did she really have to get so greedy?
She hasn't moved an inch. Even though she's trembling like a rabbit that's just seen the first flash of a predator's eyes in the undergrowth. Mercifully, her legs don't give out. ]
I don't... understand. [ Stupid girl. Ignorant brat. When has she ever understood anything? ] I'm not... I'm barely even a mage. What could I even do?
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The feeling that locks Ai's spine isn't quite ice. It's something colder and older. Recognition. Warning sirens. The knowing that she can never, ever forget no matter how long it's been because nobody, not even a girl as stupid as Ai, ever forgets a lesson that was beaten into them. She made a mistake, didn't she? She pushed too hard. She asked too many questions. She demanded things that a girl like her has no right to demand. Having someone be here with her, being kind, holding her, even if it was a lie — couldn't she have accepted that? Couldn't she just have put up with it? Did she really have to get so greedy?
She hasn't moved an inch. Even though she's trembling like a rabbit that's just seen the first flash of a predator's eyes in the undergrowth. Mercifully, her legs don't give out. ]
I don't... understand. [ Stupid girl. Ignorant brat. When has she ever understood anything? ] I'm not... I'm barely even a mage. What could I even do?