Eighty One.

Then—she closed her eyes.

The suffocating, pulsating presence vanished.

I felt her slip away.

And then—

With trembling pupils, the girl opened her eyes.

Her lips parted. A whisper escaped. "My whole life… failed."

She blinked rapidly—

And then—

She realized how close I was.

"KYA!!"

She screamed, panicked, blushing furiously.

Her hands flew to cover herself as she scrambled to pull her ragged, torn red robes tighter around her body.

I looked away. "You're safe."

"You pervert! What have you done?! You—"

Her hands froze over the shard lodged in her chest.

I scratched my cheek, unsure why I felt slightly embarrassed.

Now that she was herself again—expressing emotions, thinking for herself—she looked… really sweet.

There was something about her.

A vibe that made you want to protect her. To not hurt her. To keep her from being sad.

At the same time—