I looked at her steadily.
"I will not take it back. It is yours now. Just accept it."
Akane's body went rigid. For a split second she simply stared at me through the mask, as if the finality in my voice had stripped away every last argument she had left.
Then she closed the distance in two sharp steps and slapped me hard across the face.
The sound cracked through the quiet night air, sharp and full of everything she couldn't say. My head turned slightly from the force; the sting bloomed across my cheek.
"I hate you… I hate you…"
Her voice broke completely on the second declaration. The words came out raw, almost desperate. Before I could reach for her, she turned on her heel and vanished in a swirl of black cloak and suppressed presence, the rooftop her clear destination.
I tracked her instantly with telekinesis, the invisible threads of my awareness following the exact path she took.
