Kana's chest rose and fell sharply, her breaths ragged and uneven as Ruby finally pulled her hand away.

The burning sensation faded little by little, leaving behind a strange, hollow lightness in its place — as though a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders without her realizing it was even there.

Her trembling fingers brushed over her chest instinctively, her wide eyes darting to Ruby.

"…I… feel lighter. Freer, even."

Kana whispered softly, her voice shaky.

Ruby didn't answer immediately. Her pink hair framed her serious expression as she studied Kana carefully, her sharp gaze tracing every detail of her face like she was searching for cracks beneath the surface.

"Ruby…Do you… know what's going on with me?"

Kana breathed, sitting up straighter.

For a moment, Ruby remained quiet, her lips pressed into a thin line. Then, finally, she reached forward, placing her palm gently on Kana's cheek, her voice steady but soft.

"You don't need to worry about any of that."

Ruby said, her tone calm but laced with subtle finality.

"Whatever's happening to you… I'll protect you. That's all you need to know. All you need to do…"

— her thumb brushed lightly across Kana's skin —

"…is lean on me."

Kana froze, caught between the warmth of Ruby's words and the tightening knot in her chest.

But slowly, she shook her head, her fingers curling tightly into her robes as she gently moved Ruby's hand away.

"No. I… I don't want to lean on anyone anymore."

Kana said quietly, but firmly.

Ruby's expression shifted slightly, faint surprise flickering in her gaze as Kana continued, her voice trembling at first but growing steadier with each word.

"I've been running… hiding… relying on everyone else to protect me. But I can't keep doing that anymore. I know I have powers, Ruby. I know there's something inside me — something dangerous, yes, but also… mine."

Kana admitted, her chest tightening as the words spilled out.

Her fists clenched against her lap, nails digging into her palms.

"I want to learn how to control it. I don't want to keep being this… helpless girl who's constantly dragged around by everyone else's choices."

Ruby watched her silently for a moment, her expression unreadable as the silence stretched between them. Then, finally, she sighed softly, her shoulders relaxing just a fraction.

"You've always been stubborn."

Ruby murmured, though her tone carried no real annoyance. Instead, there was something almost tender beneath it, a faint softness hidden behind the words.

She reached forward again, this time resting her hand lightly against Kana's chest where her heartbeat raced beneath her ribs.

"If that's what you want… then I can help you. But Kana…"

Ruby said gently. Her eyes softened, though there was a sharp edge to her gaze, unyielding in its honesty

"…before you can control your power, you need to accept yourself. All of yourself. Stop hiding. Stop feeling ashamed of what you are."

Kana blinked, her lips parting slightly.

"I do accept myself."

She said quickly, almost defensively.

Ruby tilted her head slightly, her soft smile faint and bittersweet, her gaze carrying something far heavier than her tone implied.

"…Do you?"

Ruby asked quietly.

The single question pierced deeper than Kana expected.

It wasn't mocking, nor was it cruel, but the quiet certainty in Ruby's voice made Kana feel exposed — as if Ruby had peeled away all her carefully built layers and seen straight through to the fragile pieces beneath.

Kana turned her face away, unable to hold Ruby's gaze any longer.

But before she could retreat further into herself, soft hands framed her cheeks, guiding her gently but firmly back until her eyes met Ruby's again.

"Sometimes, the hardest person to face… is yourself. That's why you don't need to feel angry or frustrated right now. It's not weakness to struggle, Kana."

Ruby said softly, her voice like a whisper carried on the wind.

Her thumbs brushed against Kana's skin, warm and grounding.

"You don't need to be perfect. You just need to look inward. Trust yourself. And when you stumble…"

Ruby murmured. Her smile softened, faint but sincere

"…I'll be right here."

For a moment, neither of them moved. Kana's breath caught in her throat, Ruby's words sinking deep, steadying the turbulence that had been clawing at her chest.

Finally, Kana nodded, her voice barely audible.

"…Okay."

Ruby's hands slid upward gently, her palms brushing against Kana's temples before lowering softly over her eyes.

"Then close your eyes. Forget everything else for now. Don't think about the temple, your companions, or even me. Just… focus on you. Only you."

Ruby whispered, her voice low and soothing.

Kana hesitated but obeyed, letting her eyes drift shut, drawing in a slow, shaky breath as she tried to empty her mind and listen to herself.

For a brief moment, there was silence.

Then, suddenly—

—Bzzt.

Kana flinched as a sharp, static-like sound filled her ears, faint at first, then growing louder, the glitching buzz crawling beneath her skin.

Her breathing hitched, her brows furrowing as a strange, unnatural pressure built deep within her chest.

And then, without warning, pain tore through her body like an electric current surging along every nerve.

"A-Ah—!"

Kana gasped sharply, her fingers clawing at the rock beneath her as her entire body jolted violently.

Ruby's hands stayed steady on her face, anchoring her as her voice cut through the haze, low and firm.

"Stay with me, Kana. Focus."

Kana wanted to answer, but the words wouldn't come.

Instead, her breath came in broken gasps as static roared louder in her ears, accompanied by distorted fragments of an unfamiliar voice.

[Error… Error… Process unstable.]

[Attempting synchronization…]

[Warning: Unknown interference detected.]

The words weren't spoken aloud, yet they echoed inside her mind, layered beneath the sound of glitching and static distortion.

Kana's lips parted as she tried to speak, but no voice came out — only the pounding of her heartbeat, the unrelenting surge of heat flooding her veins.

Then, abruptly, a sharp, metallic screech sliced through the noise, followed by one final distorted announcement:

[System failure. Terminating process.]

Kana's vision blurred violently, the world around her fracturing into jagged fragments of color and sound.

She felt weightless, untethered, as though the ground had vanished beneath her entirely.

Reality slipped further and further away, her awareness pulled into something cold, dark, and endless.

But just as the void threatened to swallow her, she felt it — a hand.

Warm. Grounding. Unyielding.

It wrapped around her trembling fingers and held on tightly, pulling her back from the edge.

Kana's lungs burned as she dragged in a deep, shuddering breath, her awareness snapping violently back into her body.

Her vision swam, but the static had stopped. The voices were gone.

The warmth around her hand remained.

Kana's dazed gaze lifted slowly, her lashes wet and trembling — and though her thoughts were a storm, she knew one thing for certain: without that touch, she might have been lost entirely.

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