"Ayaka, wait."
Akira's voice cut through the chaos as he pushed through the crowd streaming out of the gym.
She had slipped away while the SPIU agents were still setting up their perimeter, and he'd watched her head toward the stairwell leading to the roof.
He found her there, leaning against the railing with both hands gripping the metal so hard her knuckles were white. Her crimson eyes were unfocused, staring out at nothing, and her breathing came in short, rapid gasps.
"Ayaka," Akira said again, approaching carefully. "Are you okay?"
She didn't turn around. "Do I look okay?"
Now that he was closer, Akira could see the signs clearly.
Her skin was flushed and sweaty on her neck and collarbone. Her aura, which was usually calm and controlled, was flickering all around her. Red energy pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat, and every few seconds, it spiked, like she was trying to suppress it.
"The energy you absorbed," Akira realized. "It's too much."
