Homeostasis For Two

Immediately following my seemingly innocuous question, the room's atmosphere shifted dramatically.

'Hm?'

Lookng closely, Ella's lips pressed tightly together, and her silently quivering eyes turned down to the coffee table between us. For an expression like that to be caused by a simple question―one I thought to be only natural, and indeed harmless... wasn't it quite a severe look?

'Hey, whoa, what's this about? what happened...?'

"Ella?"

I called her name, but she didn't reply, remaining biting her lips subtly. Judging from the look in her eyes, it didn't seem like she was ignoring me. I also knew she wasn't the type of person to get too absorbed in her own thoughts, so I ruled that out...

Something definitely happened prior to, or perhaps as a result of her Awakening.

All I could do―or should do, rather―was wait patiently for her to be ready to talk.

"I..."