DUET :Chapter 19:

I have absolutely no idea what I should do. Honestly, I’m at the point that if Maggie even looks over at me for longer than a few moments, I begin to feel insanely guilty or confused. As if God or whatever is there knew that I was on the brink of losing my sanity, to my utmost fortune, Maggie doesn’t recall what happened. If anything, I assume she believes anything she remembers was a strange dream. That would explain why, despite my overwhelming awkwardness on the fly back to Gelus, she seemed just as guiltily uncomfortable as I was.

She has moved passed it with grace, but unfortunately, I’m still stuck on what happened in the craft. I mean, it’s not like that was an accident. Those venomous emotions were all of my own creation, and I allowed it to consume me. If I hadn’t caught myself, who knows what all may have happened.

The thought of what may have been causes me to cringe. I could’ve destroyed us both. I almost committed suicide.

“Isugoro.”

“Hmm?”

I look up to see Cent standing in the doorway of my room, his expression calm as he meets my eyes. He looks more casual than usual, no padding on his uniform, the top even undone slightly at the top. After a moment of silence, he seems to pick up my uneasiness, walking in and shutting the door behind him with a short click. “What’s up?” he asks as he walks up to the end of the bed.

Standing on the other side by the window, I look away and glance back to the mountains outside being consumed by the setting sun’s rays. I sigh after a moment, my shoulders falling as I speak, “Just thinking, is all.”

“Thinking about what, Goro?” he says, stepping closer, “You’ve been quieter lately, what is it?”

I don’t answer quickly. I know I can’t tell him what happened. If he knew, he’d lash out at Maggie again. This wasn’t her fault, it was my own failure to keep myself under control. Slowly, I turn my gaze back towards Cent. The falling Sun lights him brightly, his red curls casting harsh shadows on his face. His bangs fall strangely in the lighting, framing his chestnut eyes in a way that makes them even more intense than usual. “. . . I don’t really know how to explain it, to be perfectly honest,” I trail, fighting off the daggers with an unusual vagueness.

His brow furrows slightly. “You’re not usually so short of words,” Cent replies, crossing his arms, “Even when you weren’t telling me everything before now, you still said a lot more with your actions than you have been recently.”

“I don’t know what to say to make you feel like I’m saying everything,” I say, “Especially when I don’t even know what all I’m thinking.”

He watches me for a few moments, before his eyes narrow. “I think you’re spewing BS, to be honest,” he comments.

A strange feeling sparks up my spine. Of all times for him to be on top of me, this is the worst situation. “Cent-“ I start.

“No, no,” he interrupts, “I’ve seen you put up some bad excuses for not wanting to tell me something, but seriously, this is pretty pathetic.”

My expression tightens as I try to act innocent, “I don’t understand-“

“You’ve been acting totally weird since you got back from your day mission with Maggie, and you’re going to have me believe you have no hint of a clue as to what may be the reason?” Cent continues, looking at me with suspicious flickers in his stare, “Even Maggie is starting to look a little concerned about how are going right now. You two haven’t really spoke to each other, even though Maggie seems to be normal. So, something is going on with you, and you alone.”

I just stare at him. I know I tend to show emotion, but I really didn’t think it was so obvious. I really am thick. Even so, I can’t give in to him. This has to stay with me.

“I’m sorry.”

Cent’s eyes widen in response to the simple phrase. I stare straight back at him with a steeled resolve, and as we continue to stand in silence, he quickly realizes that. His brow knits together, his eyes finally breaking away from mine. “You’ve gotta be kidding,” he comments.

“It’s something I really can’t talk to anyone about,” I reply, my voice softer than normal, “It’s nothing against you-“

“It’s everything against me, dammit,” Cent snaps, his voice quiet, but intense. My eyes widen in response, allowing him to continue, “I’m your best friend, right? We’ve told each other everything since I can remember. . . . But now, you’re starting to hide even the biggest things from me.”

“I’ve hidden things for years, you know that-“ I start.

“But not from me!”

His sudden shouting catches me off guard, actually making me jump a bit. His clenches his hands into fists, his stare now a dagger of a glare as he looks back at me. I’m caught as I notice him shaking, his face becoming redder by the second. His expression is a mix of emotions; anger, confusion, hurt, and so on, sending a sinking feeling through me. His anger gives way as he suddenly charges towards me, taking me by the collar and pinning me to the wall. I catch my breath, as his eyes burn holes through me, his anger raging through his voice, “When the hell did you decide I wasn’t worth trusting anymore?!”

“C-Cent-“

“I thought we were brothers, you ass!”

“Stop it, you’re just making yourself angrier!” I shout over him.

“I have a damn right to be as angry as I want to be!” he snaps.

“God dammit, now why are you two arguing?!”

We’re both caught off guard as Cent is suddenly pulled away from me, pushed onto the bed. I look over of all people, Sammy, staring at both of us with an expression of disappointment. Her warm orange eyes meet mine, and after a moment, her expression changes, seeing no real trace of anger in my face. She turns back to Cent and her expression hardens again, taking him by the wrist and pulling him away without a word said.

“Uh-“ I start.

“Give us a minute, alright?” Sammy calls over her shoulder, “I’ll straighten him out.”

“What the Hell?!” Cent breathes, trying to pull away from her grip, “This has nothing to do with you-“

“You’re coming with me.”

Cent’s caught off guard as he now finds himself pinned to the wall, but instead of with all her strength, Sammy only has to push him against the cool concrete to keep him in place. Such immense strength, it’s only a passing norm for Jeweloids. Cent looks completely flabbergasted, his hard expression shattered by his shock. Sammy says nothing as she stares at him, then slowly moves her face closer to his. Without warning, the red in his face adjusts from responding to anger to romantic interest, his eyes wide as she keeps eye contact. She stops just a few inches from his face, leaving him frozen. “Don’t argue, just do as I say and follow me,” she says, her voice surprisingly intense, yet alluring.

He melts. No matter how angry he may be with me, it seems nothing can surpass his unfortunate weakness; his immediate and resounding affection for Sammy. The two have barely had half of the conversations Maggie and I have had involving themselves or their ideas, and even that is stretching it, considering they hardly see each other without Maggie or I being around. Despite all of that though, Cent and Sammy seem to have had an electric connection from day one, even more intense than I ever imagined possible for Cent. He basically fell for her at first sight, and has been plagued by his emotions ever since.

Without another word, Sammy promptly releases her grasp on him only to take tight hold on his hand, quickly leading him out. I stand frozen for a few moments, before I find myself following after the two. I’d rather they not argue over something like my idiotic antics. Though as I step out of my room, I’m surprised that I don’t see them standing in the hall. I blink, my eyes darting around slightly before I catch a fleeting glimpse of Cent disappearing farther down the hall, taking the turn towards the service stairwell. I pause for a moment, uncertainty consuming me. Following them may only lead to a larger argument.

I look back to my room, the safety of the space luring me back. I sigh, trying my best to take a step towards the correct answer; leave them be. Unfortunately the thought only spawns a prickling sensation of regret to start to grow on my spine. Questions raise themselves against my will, debating the right choice in this situation against my better judgement. If they’re speaking of me, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with me listening, right? I mean, I’m probably going to hear whatever they’re talking about soon enough, why not go hear it now? And if I’m caught, I meant to make sure they weren’t angry due to me. That’s a good enough reason, right? The good of my friends is more important than my issues.

Twisted logic; nothing better.

With that, I quickly follow Sammy and Cent as best as I can into the service stairwell. It doesn’t take long for me to hear Sammy’s voice carrying through the corridor. I move quietly up the metal steps, treading lightly as I try to catch on to what Sammy could possibly be saying to Cent. Though, I’m surprised that’s it’s not her that I comprehend first.

“How is this my fault?!”

Cent sounds exasperated to say the least. It seems he’s been holding in some thoughts and emotions, and that our conversation caused what there was to explode. Immediately, I hear a gentle shushing, and I stop, listening as Sammy calms him, “I never said it was your fault-“

“You just said I shouldn’t be starting arguments with Goro!” Cent snaps.

“That’s right, but that doesn’t also translate to ‘You’re guilty’, Cent,” Sammy comments, her tone controlled. After a moment, I hear her sigh, her steps echoing slightly below me. “I’ve also noticed that he’s been acting weird.”

“Then you should want to know too,” Cent replies, his voice suddenly a lot calmer. I suppose Sammy’s expression must have changed to something sadder, as I hear heavier steps moving towards where I heard the previous in sync with his words.

“. . . I guess, but it’s not my place to pry into his issues,” Sammy replies, “Goro, while thick sometimes, isn’t a child. If he needs to talk to someone about whatever is bothering him, he’ll talk to whoever it is he feels comfortable with. He’s come to me before with issues, not to mention you’re always an option. I think he’s just trying to understand whatever it is that’s going on now-“

“No, he understands whatever it is that’s bothering him,” Cent interrupts, his voice more serious, “He tried to sell me an ignorant act when I asked just now. He just doesn’t want to tell me.”

“And what’s wrong with that?” Sammy asks, “Everyone has a right to keep their issues to themselves-“

“But he never used to do this!”

Both Sammy and I are caught off guard by Cent’s sudden outburst. A low sinking feeling begins to takes shape in the pit of my gut. It never occurred to me that Cent could be this angry about me keeping secrets, though the more I’m beginning to think about it, the harder it’s becoming for me to be ignorant. I hear harder footsteps pacing back and forth below, before Cent goes on, “I’ve known that jackass for over thirteen years and he’s never had an issue telling me anything that was wrong. We told each other everything, even the jacked up crap . . . I mean, we’ve been through Hell together. But ever since we came to this Hell hole he’s started to drift off. He hardly speaks to me anymore!”

“Cent-“ Sammy starts.

“God, he’s losing himself in all the crap that’s wrong with Gelus. People are trying to mold him into some leader or some bull like that. Not that it helps that Maggie has him wrapped around her finger-“ Cent says, his voice only continuing to increase in irritation.

A jolt of uneasiness shoots up my spine when Maggie enters the conversation, but before anything else is said, Sammy snaps. “Will you stop placing blame on Maggie?” Sammy retorts, her voice laced with a low burning anger.

“Sammy, if it wasn’t for her, Goro wouldn’t be involved in the Jeweloid Sector!” Cent says.

“Are you trying to say that’s a good thing?” Sammy replies.

Cent doesn’t reply quickly, probably realizing he’s treading on a thin layer of ice. Even I hold my breath, knowing that a wrong answer could really make Sammy pissed off. Though, it seems he’s quick to think, as he responds quietly, “All I’m saying is that things were a lot less complicated before she came into the picture.”

“It’s because of Maggie that Isugoro has the standing he does in the Jeweloid Sector. Because of him, things have started to look better for us,” Sammy says, steps echoing before I hear her speak again, “. . . Cent, what is the real reason you’re angry?” He pauses, prompting the softer steps to continue before they stop. A deep breath sounds through the silence, before I hear Sammy again, her voice sweeter, “You’re very good at analyzing Isugoro, Cent, but what about yourself?”

Another bout of silence follows, before Cent finally replies, “. . . Have you ever felt jealous?”

Of all things, that was the last thing I was expecting to hear him say. Jealous? What the hell could he be jealous of? It doesn’t seems Sammy was expecting that either, as I don’t hear her speak for several moments. “J-Jealous of what?” Sammy replies, sounding as thrown off as I feel.

“Jealous of Isugoro,” he replies.

It seems his response only makes Sammy more confused, as she sounds perplexed, “I don’t really know why I’d have a reason to be-“

“When was the last time you had a deep conversation with Maggie?”

That’s when it finally connects on both ends. Sammy goes speechless. It seems Cent has made his point, a sigh drifting through the air before something seems to go stiff. It’s another few moments before I hear Cent speak again, “Looks like we’re in the same boat.”

I can’t let them think this.

“Cent, Sammy!” I yell.

I hear Sammy gasp in surprise, and a lot of stumbling as I hurry down the flight of stairs. Once I reach the landing they’re standing on, I’m surprised to find Cent and Sammy looking less than composed as their eyes dart around. Both their faces are a bit flush, but Sammy moves as fast as she can past the awkwardness as she meets my gaze. “W-What is it-“ she starts.

“Maggie hasn’t said anything because she doesn’t remember what happened,” I say without thinking, before I catch myself. What the hell am I trying to do?! I almost completely blurted what happened! I cover my mouth as Cent and Sammy look completely caught off guard, before Cent pushes past Sammy slightly.

“What are you talking about?” he asks, his expression serious. I stare at him a moment longer before I glance over at Sammy, who just seems flustered by everything. Another look at Cent and I find I’m stuck. My heart is pounding, and I can feel the tips of my ears turning red. Cent can tell that I’m cracking, his brow furrowing before he pulls me aside. He whispers calmly in my ear, “Isugoro, just talk to me.”

I don’t know what to do.

After a moment, I realize I’m shaking. I’m actually shaking because of this! I try and speak but any sound is caught in the back of my throat, too nervous to break out. My mind is going a mile a minute, racing with random thoughts that are just tumbling over each other. I focus my eyes on the ground, uncertain how to control myself.

“C’mon.”

I’m caught as I find myself being pulled back up the stairs. I look up to see Sammy by my side, looking worried as Cent leads us back up the flights to the hallway. Without a single word spoken between any of us, Cent hurries us back into my bedroom, shutting the door soundly behind us. I turn back to face him, only to see his expression is now worry. He breathes a deep sigh, then looks up at me, his brown eyes dulled. He steps up to stand in front of me, Sammy by his side as he speaks quietly, “Is it really that bad?”

I gulp, moving my gaze around as I try to construct a solid thought. Though, my mouth moves faster than my brain, “Depends on what you rank as bad.”

“Goro, whatever that’s going on must be pretty serious,” Cent says, before he gently grips my shoulders, catching my attention, “You’re having a panic attack.”

“Why shouldn’t I be?” I say.

“Alright, alright, enough of this,” Sammy says, coming in between Cent and I. She’s gentle, looking concerned as she takes his spot and gestures to my bed. “Sit down. We need to straighten this out, and we need you to be sound to do that,” Sammy says with a nurturing touch to her voice, her southern accent coming out more than normal.

I just do as told, sitting slowly as my eyes glue to the floor. My mind is now speeding around ideas of how to get out of this mess. Do I tell them a truth? Should I be vague or just get straight to the point? Hell, should I just make something up?

This was the last situation I wanted to be in.

After a moment of thick silence, Cent sighs, stepping up as he speaks quietly, “Can you at least answer yes or no questions?”

An odd sense of relief washes over me momentarily, and I nod slowly. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Cent and Sammy pass a glance to each other, before Cent prompts Sammy with a gesture. She turns back to me, then asks, “Did you two get into an argument?”

“No,” I reply quietly.

Quiet takes over, before Cent speaks, “Does it involve her past?”

“No.”

Sammy takes her turn, “Is it about what you saw while you were gone?”

“No.”

Cent pauses, before he asks, “Did something happen between you and Maggie?”

I don’t reply immediately, my voice hollow as I answer, “Yes.”

Sammy and Cent share a look, the tension in the room rising. My heartbeat is steadily increasing, the realization that I won’t be able to escape this situations becoming more and more apparent. They’re going to think I’m crazy for what I did. I sneak a look up at them, catching Sammy’s glance as she looks back at me, “Did Maggie start it?”

“. . . No,” I trail. My mind is blurring again, catching Cent’s disbelief as he seems to start seeing the gravity of what the situation may be.

“What the Hell-“ Cent mumbles.

“Shh,” Sammy interrupts, looking back at him, “We don’t know how serious this is-“

“It’s pretty serious,” I comment without thinking.

Cent and Sammy look back at me with surprise, before Cent steps closer, actually chuckling to himself. He pats my shoulder, and it’s then I realize he’s starting to go into denial. He avoids eye contact with me, making the situation even worse. I can’t do this.

“I mean, it can’t be that serious-“ he starts.

“I broke the Law, Cent,” I snap, something within me breaking.

He goes stiff, and Sammy pales some. Slowly, Sammy steps up, leaning over to look at me at my eye level. “. . . W-What do you mean?” She speaks, her breath catching on every word.

I slowly look up, meeting her eyes. Her expression is fragile, as if one more word could make her fall apart. “. . . I wanted her,” I say plainly.

“What.”

Sammy and I look over, and I’m caught by Cent’s rising temper, his fists clenched. He finds my eyes, his stare intimidating to say the least. “What did you do?” he asks, his tone serious.

A lump forms in my throat as the scene replays in my mind. I’m not entirely sure how to explain my actions, nor do I really want to. Sammy looks between Cent and I, and surprises both of us as she stands back up and walks over to Cent’s side, gently laying a hand on his chest as she gets his attention. “Cent, please calm down,” she whispers, “He doesn’t need you to angry.”

After a few moments, Cent breaks his gaze from me and meets hers. “Sammy-“ he starts.

“You want him to talk to you, right?” Sammy interrupts, “He won’t if you get angry when he does try to confide in you.” It seems her words strike a chord, as his expression abruptly falls and his eyes widen some. Sammy’s brow furrows, then sighs as she turns back and steps up to me, kneeling so to look up at my face. I find it hard to meet her eyes, though when I do, I find she looks caring, holding a hand out to me. “Show me what happened,” Sammy says.

My eyes widen in surprise, and her expression turns to a grimace, speaking softly, “You don’t have to say anything, just let me see.”

I gulp, but I reluctantly agree, reaching a shaky hand out to grab hers. Without trying, the visions of the situation come back at full force, each second playing like years as I relive my lustful blunder. I force my way out of the memories as quickly as I can, looking around erratically before I find Sammy’s face. She looks quite shocked, her eyes wide as I see she’s still analyzing my thoughts. Her cheeks have flushed a good bit, seemingly embarrassed to have an insight on the intimate moment. I glance down at the ground as I try to move past how awkward she may feel.

I don’t blame her.

“Well.”

My thoughts are caught as I hear Sammy sound slightly exasperated, looking back at her face. She blinks once or twice, before she meets my eyes. Her brow furrows, but she still looks kindly towards me, speaking softly, “I can understand why you’d be a bit overwhelmed by that. Seems it just kinda happened without warning.”

I nod, but before I speak, Cent enters, “What did you see?”

Sammy looks back at him, sighing before she answers, “I saw him making . . . sensual advances towards Maggie.”

“What?” Cent says, obviously still not 100% understanding.

“He kissed up her neck,” Sammy says bluntly, “Other than trying to help her remove her coat, that’s really all that happened-“

“That’s all?” I repeat, my tone reading how flabbergasted I am.

Cent and Sammy immediately turn their eyes back to me, and Cent walks up to my side, leaning over and placing a hand on my shoulder. “Isugoro-“ Cent starts.

“I couldn’t control myself, Cent!” I snap, looking him right in eyes, “I can’t protect her if this is how I’m thinking! Hell, I can’t even look at her without feeling dirty-“

“That’s because it’s still new, Isugoro!” Sammy says harshly, taking my chin in her hold and turning my head back to face hers, “Tell me, you can’t seriously think that that’s all you feel for Maggie.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

She looks at me like I’m the biggest idiot in the world, then glances over at Cent, who backed off when Sammy grabbed me from his attention. They watch each other a moment, before Sammy speaks with a rare bit of sarcasm to her voice, “How old were you two when you entered the military?”

“Uh, sixteen,” Cent replies.

In response, Sammy rubs her forehead, speaking to herself, “Ah, that makes more sense.”

“What does-“ I start.

“The fact that you’re reacting to normal hormones like a sheltered tween,” Sammy interrupts, meeting my stare with a strong resolve, “Tell me, were you ever in a relationship?”

A strange mixture of emotions threaten to stab my heart when those words hit my ears, and Cent knows immediately that it’s not good. He quickly answers for me, giving me a moment to fight off the dark thoughts that try to climb back into my conscious any time I’m reminded of that subject. “I guess you could call it a relationship,” Cent comments.

“Well, considering you’ve not been involved with a girl for long periods of time for so long, it only makes sense that your body would react in ways maybe your mind may not want to,” Sammy says, “I mean, you spend most of your time with her, not to mention you two are close and have been through a good deal together already. While it doesn’t happen to everyone, considering that you were taken out of a normal setting so early in your teens, it makes sense that you’d have hormonal attachments to her.”

“No it doesn’t, Sammy,” I reply, finally grasping my bearings.

“Why?” Sammy replies.

“Because I can’t,” I say, looking straight at her. My words seem to strike a chord, Sammy going silent almost immediately. I sigh, looking back to Cent to see he just looks stressed, rubbing his forehead as his eyes focus on something random. “. . . For normal people, that may be the reason, but I can’t allow that to happen to me. Something like what happened on that craft could get us in serious trouble. Hell, if the Commander was able to get a hold of that knowledge, he’d be able to terminate me as a candidate to be her Partner,” I say, sulking to myself.

“Goro.”

I look over, finding Cent’s eyes now resting on me, his expression pained as he watches me. He doesn’t speak immediately, though he does move again, stepping closer before he sits down beside me. I can feel the weight of his concern as he settles on the mattress, even his breath weighed down as he takes a deep breath. Then, he speaks carefully, “Goro, I know that everyone has told you that you are meant to be in the Jeweloid Sector, and I know you made a promise to Maggie before she left about being her Partner . . . but tell me this; is it worth it?”

Sammy’s breathe catches, and my eyes widen slightly. She puts a hand on his knee, obviously not liking where he may be going with this. “Cent-“ she starts.

“Let me speak,” Cent interrupts, looking her right in the eye with a short but intense stare, silencing her. He then turns back to me, his intensity falling apart before he can continue, “. . . Are you really willing to deal with all of this? No one said that you had to do all of this. You’ve made every choice, influenced or not, thus far to put yourself in the position you’re in. Now that you’re here, you’re at a point where you need to make a choice.”

“But I’m to be her Partner-“ I start.

“Until you sign the papers, or whatever the official statement is, you are allowed to walk away, Goro,” he continues, “So, you’re at an impasse. You can A: walk away from it now, while you still have the chance and make peace with Maggie or whoever you need to before you move to another Sector, or hell, another base, so you don’t have to continue dealing with this hardship that seems to constantly be following you since you got involved in the Jeweloid Sector-“

“Cent-“ Sammy starts, her voice angrier.

“Or,” Cent interrupts, his voice raising in volume in response to Sammy, before he calms, “Or B: . . . You can fight through this, sign yourself to become Maggie’s Partner, and continue to fight against the bullshit that is Gelus law and the segregation of the Jeweloids.”

For the first time, I find myself legitimately questioning my choices up to this point. Cent’s right, I could walk away right now if I decided to. I could wipe my hands of all of this and simply leave. I’m keeping myself in this uncomfortable situation, no one is forcing me to do anything. While yes, I know that a lot of people would be upset with me if I was to leave, I need to keep my sanity a top priority. I can’t just allow myself to wither from anxiety and stress. I’d be alright-

“Just remember this, Goro,” Cent says, “If you choose to leave Gelus . . . I can basically guarantee that you’ll never be able to come back. That . . . and once you refuse to be a Partner, you won’t see Maggie or any of the Jeweloids ever again.”

My mind stops. Of course, I forgot the most important part of this. I suppose I just want to suppress anything that could sway me . . . but then again, if I do that, I’ll probably regret the decision I make in the end. Leaving Gelus, I will be free of the Jeweloid Sector, I can go wherever I’d like probably, since I’m at the standing I’m at. But, by doing so, I’ll throw away all the work I put into being Maggie’s Partner.

My heartbeat sounds in my ear. Maggie. . . . I’d be leaving Maggie behind.

She would truly despise me if I walked away. The fact is hard for me to chew, but I can’t deny what would happen. For me to do all I have to regain her trust, simply to leave. She’d be devastated. My stomach churns. I don’t want her to hate me. That’s the last thing I’d want. But, given how things stand now, I can’t do my job with these emotions threatening to overtake me again. I can’t protect her like this. She’d be safer without me, right?

“She’d have to find a new Partner,” Cent comments to himself, before he looks over to Sammy, “She’d probably pick you-“

“No, she couldn’t pick me. While she did have the option, she picked Isugoro,” Sammy replies, “Even as a Class Zero, Jeweloids are only allowed free choice of their Partner once, unless their Partner is killed in battle. If he walks away, the Commander will be in charge of choosing her Partner.”

Everything goes silent. If I leave, the Commander will be in charge?

I clench my hands into fists. God dammit.

Suddenly, I realize something I hadn’t even considered; Maggie will have someone else as her Partner. To my surprise, that fact turns my thoughts even more than the Commander’s involvement with Maggie. Uncensored thoughts start to run through my mind.

I don’t want anyone else to be her Partner! I don’t want her to have to trust someone else she doesn’t know! I don’t want her to go into battle with another person by her side! I don’t! I don’t . . . !

“Isugoro-“ Sammy starts.

“I don’t . . .” I trail off, finally finding my voice. Cent and Sammy look a bit perplexed, unsure what I mean. My emotions are on boil, but I do my best to calm my nerves before I look up. “. . . I know that at the moment, I don’t know what to do,” I speak, “But I do know that if I was to walk away from her, and this position . . . I’d never forgive myself.”

A look of relief overtakes Sammy’s expression, while Cent seems a bit hesitant. He talks quietly, questioning me, “What makes you think that?”

“The fact that I know she’d never forgive me. The fact that she wouldn’t be able to control who the Commander gives her. The fact that the Commander would have full access to her without me around,” I reply, before I slip slightly, “The fact that she needs me, and I . . .”

I trail off, unsure how I was trying to finish the sentence. Cent looks surprised by my words, but slowly, his expression clears. He sighs, then looks to Sammy, who’s smiling faintly. He chuckles, “It seems he’s made his decision.”

Her expression warms some, before her eyes find mine. “Everything will be alright Isugoro,” Sammy says, “If you do have something overwhelming you like this again, please speak up.”

Finally, I feel at ease enough to laugh, rubbing my forehead, “Dear God, this sounds like an intervention.”

Cent grins as he speaks, “Well, Sammy did have to take out her random knowledge of psychology for this one, so I guess that’s an accurate description.”

“Oh be quiet,” Sammy replies as she looks at him, “I found the stuff interesting, so I used to read about it. If I’m not mistaken, I may have also done a project on the topic. I can’t remember.”

“Whatever you say,” Cent says, his voice light as he casually flirts with her.

Sammy’s cheeks warm slightly, but she averts her gaze from meeting his, focusing back on me. She takes a deep breath, before she starts again, “Now then, let’s deal with the one problem left.”

Cent and I both watch her confused as she stands up, her expression a bit more serious. I blink, before I start to speak. “What do you mean, Sam-“

Before I know what’s happening, I can feel a pressure on my forehead. My mind immediately starts to go fuzzy, as if my thoughts are being thrown all over the places. I register immediately that Sammy’s doing something using her Ability of Mind, but besides that, I’m totally lost. I can barely make out Cent’s voice, calling out my name, but I can’t respond. Everything is fading out. I feel like something is being taken away from me, but I don’t know what it could be. . . .

So you don’t worry anymore, I’ll lock it away. Everything will be ok.

Sammy’s voice echoes through the darkness consuming me, but I can’t make out the meaning.

I don’t remember.