The walk home was suffocating.
Tenka didn't utter a word, her boots clicking against the pavement as she kept a few steps ahead. The distance was small but deliberate, like a wall she'd thrown up between herself and Kentaro. He'd seen her like this before, when her mind was chewing on something too heavy to spit out, but this time the air around her felt different. It wasn't just deep thought. It was cold.
Kentaro didn't press. He lagged a little behind, letting her pace lead them both while his own thoughts churned. Shaula's words circled like a curse in his skull. The play. The rules. The punishment. Why wager her powers for something so un-grand?
