Ayaka turned to him with a grim expression. "Depends. If you're lucky, they forget a few bullets in your brain and body. If the universe is against you, you end up in a jar or under a microscope… and thousands of needles. No one really knows what that means because no one ever comes back from these kinda facilities."

Akira looked at his hands, which were finally still. "Well, I guess I don't get caught then."

Ayaka nodded. "Exactly."

"Come on, we need to get home," Ayaka said. "Before others wakes up."

"Agreed," Ayaka said, her eyes lingering on his for a moment. "But Akira... don't think tonight was a freebie. You owe me for that 'treatment.'"

[PP: 3115 → 3165]

They slipped into the shadows, heading back toward the Rosewood Residences, while behind them, the government began to clean up the mess Akira had left behind.

—

The walk home took twenty minutes. Neither of them spoke much, both lost in their own thoughts about what had just happened and what could have happened if they'd been caught.

When they finally reached the apartment building, Akira carefully unlocked the door, wincing at every small click and creak. The apartment was dark and silent. They were safe.

Or so he thought.

The lights suddenly blazed on, flooding the room with harsh brightness that made him squint.

Mia sat on the couch, arms crossed, her eyes red and swollen from crying. Her hair was a mess, and she was still in her sleep clothes.

"Where. Were. You."

Her voice was flat, emotionless, but that made it more terrifying than if she'd been screaming.

Ayaka took one look at Mia's face and silently slipped away to her room without a word, leaving Akira alone to face the storm.

"Mia, I can explain…"

"No!" She shot to her feet. "You left! In the middle of the night! Do you know how scared I was?!"

She was shaking now, her whole body trembling with a mixture of anger and relief at seeing him safe.

"Do you know how scared I was? I woke up to get water. Saw your door open. Your bed was empty. Rina was in there, naked. What was she even doing there in the first place? And then I saw Ayaka's room was empty too! Where the fuck were you?!"

Akira tried the calm approach, keeping his voice steady. "Something came up. An emergency."

"What kind of emergency requires you and that sus bitch?!" Mia's voice rose sharply.

"Watch your tone…"

"Don't tell me what to do! You sneak out, you disappear for hours, and I'm supposed to just accept it?! I knew it. You didn't like me enough."

He couldn't tell her the truth. Not about the gate, not about what he really was, not about any of it. But he needed to say something.

"I... I went to meet someone."

Wrong answer.

Mia's face went cold, all emotion draining away to leave behind something frightening. "Who."

"Mia…"

"WHO?!"

She rushed him, grabbing his jacket with both hands, yanking him down to her level. Then she did something that made his blood run cold.

She smelled it.

She buried her face in his collar and inhaled deeply, and when she pulled back, her eyes were wild with accusation.

"Perfume. Women's perfume. Different from before."

It was true. During the chaos at the industrial zone, he'd caught a few women falling from the cocoon. The brief contact must have left their scent on his clothes.

"You were with someone. Another girl."

"It's not like that…"

"Liar! You're lying to me!"

Then a shocking sound… PAAAAH!

The slap came out of nowhere, landing on his face with enough force to snap his head to the side. The sound echoed through the quiet apartment like a gunshot.

Immediately, Mia's hands flew to her mouth, her eyes widening in horror at what she'd just done.

"Oh god, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

She started sobbing, huge, gasping sobs that shook her entire body. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed against him.

[CRITICAL CHOICE]

[A: Push her away - assert boundaries, risk losing her. Reward: +5 Confidence, Mia Affinty Takes a Hit

[B: Comfort but maintain distance - safe middle ground. Reward: +20 PP, Mia Affinity Stabilized]

[C: Use Aura of Dominance to calm her - risky, could deepen obsession. Reward: +100 PP, Yandere Lock Strengthened]

Ai's voice whispered urgently in his mind. "Choose wisely, darling. This is a turning point. The wrong move here could break her completely... or bind her to you in ways you can't undo."

Akira chose C.

He let his Aura of Dominance flow out, not aggressively but like a warm blanket, enveloping her in his presence. He pulled her into a tight hug, one hand cradling the back of her head.

"It's okay. I'm sorry I worried you."

She clung to him desperately, her fingers digging into his back. "Promise me. Promise you won't leave like that again."

He hesitated for just a moment, knowing he couldn't keep that promise. But right now, she needed to hear it.

"...I promise."

[MIA AFFINITY: CRITICAL INSTABILITY → OBSESSIVE DEVOTION]

[PP: 3165 → 3265]

They stayed like that for a long time, standing in the middle of the living room as the first hints of dawn began to colour the sky outside.

Eventually, exhaustion won out. Mia fell asleep in his arms, and Akira carefully lowered them both to the couch, too tired to carry her to bed. He pulled a blanket over them and let his own eyes close, despite knowing he'd regret it in the morning.

—

The sun rose bright, streaming through the windows and waking Akira far too early. His neck hurt from the awkward angle on the couch, and his whole body felt like it had been put through a meat grinder.

Mia was still asleep, her face peaceful now, tear tracks dried on her cheeks.

The sound of a door opening made him look up. Rina emerged from his room, yawning and stretching, wearing only an oversized t-shirt… his, that barely covered her thighs. Her hair was a wild mess, and she had that sleepy, content look of someone who'd slept really well.

She saw them on the couch and stopped. "Did I miss something?"

"Long night. Don't worry about it," Akira said quietly, not wanting to wake Mia.

Rina padded over and sat on the floor nearby, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Hey, thanks for last night. I don't remember much, but I know you helped me."

"Anytime."

She smiled, and it was genuine, warm. "You're different from other guys, Akira. You actually give a damn."

[RINA AFFINITY +15 → 75]

Before he could respond, Mia stirred against him, making a small sound of protest at being disturbed. Rina took that as her cue to leave, standing up and heading back to his room to get dressed.

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