We soon left the room along with everyone else inside. I'm still trying to collect myself when I feel Charlotte squeeze my hand as we walk through the halls. She doesn't say anything, but I know she's trying to tell me that everything will be fine. It does help me loosen up a bit as we continue to walk, however my nerves would immediately shoot back up as I realize what room we have stopped at.
With the door opening, all I could see is white, along with a table at the back of the room. I felt my eyes glue to the table as I could practically see myself being chained up to it, as if my past is coming straight back to haunt me.
"Do we really need to do it here?" Charlotte, sensing that I'm uncomfortable, ends up speaking up on my behalf. She's too kind...
"Yes, this is the only room that is safe to house the girl." One of the men in a white coat speaks up at Charlotte's question.
"I ask for the three of you to head inside and wait for further instructions." Another person in a white coat speaks up, this time a woman that is smaller in size than me.
"Alright. Let's go." Lisa ends up taking the lead as both Charlotte and I enter the room hand in hand.
It was nerve wracking just walking inside the room, getting closer to that table, but I involuntarily squeeze down on Charlotte's hand as I hear the slider door close behind us, followed by a 'beep' sound.
"It's okay, Shiro." Charlotte speaks softly to me as I quickly realize how much force I'm putting into my grip. I immediately loosen it up in case I'm hurting her, but she just gives me a warm smile instead. "We'll be with you this time."
"She's right. One way or another, we'll be walking out of here together." Lisa also smiles at me, but that only makes me even more nervous.
"I... I don't want to hurt you..."
"Then I don't see why you'd hurt me, hehe." Lisa continues to smile at me, even giggling at my words. "If you really don't want to hurt me, then I think we'll be fine."
"...Okay."
Suddenly, as soon as we finish our small conversation, another 'beep' could be heard as it echoes throughout the room, although I'm not sure where the source was coming from.
"Alright. Whenever you're ready, please take off the mask." A man's voice echoes through the room, one that I don't recognize.
It was then while I was trying to find the source of the voice that I spotted what looks to be a white object sticking out from the top corner of the room. It also had a lens on it, making it stand out from all the white in the room.
"Are you really sure about this, Lisa?" Charlotte asks the same question the General asks her. Her eyes filled with concern.
"You want for Shiro to have more freedom. This is the only way."
"But to go so far... We can still find another way."
"Maybe, but would you want to wait for another chance? All while that man takes Shiro?"
"..." At Lisa's words, Charlotte falls silent.
That man... They're talking about the man in glasses, right? He's taking me away? Away from Charlotte and Lisa?
"I don't know what he wants to do with Shiro, but this is the only way to get the support we need."
"...You better not die."
"Hehe." Lisa then pat Charlotte on her head, as she's the only one smiling amongst us. Does she really trust me that much? "Okay, shall we start?"
We all took our places inside the room. Charlotte had me facing away from the table and instead towards one of the side walls. Lisa was quite a bit away from me as Charlotte stood in front of me, taking off the mask slowly. And right as the mask was fully off, I felt the familiar sensation spreading through my body, mainly my chest. A large amount of heat, coursing through my body, however, it still wasn't painful, rather it made my body feel incredibly light as I look into Charlotte's eyes.
"Just breathe. Try and focus on me, okay?"
"Nn."
Charlotte speaks in a soft, quiet manner before stepping back away from me, walking towards Lisa. I keep my eyes focused on Charlotte, focusing on this lightness in my chest as I'm too scared to direct my focus towards Lisa.
"A-alright. Could I ask for the girl to look at Major Frigg?"
Wait, the voice can see me? They can see that I'm not looking at Lisa? And what's more is that now they're asking me to do just that?
"It's okay, Shiro. I trust you." But before I even had the chance to panic, Lisa's voice reaches my ears as I reflexively lock eyes with Lisa herself.
It was a blunder on my part as I've gotten used to directing my gaze to whoever is talking, but I was shocked to realize that Lisa was still standing. What's more is that lightness in my chest is now completely gone. I would've thought that it would be replaced with that scorching pain, but even after staring into Lisa's eyes for ten seconds now, no pain was coming over my body. A smile quickly grew on my face as both Charlotte and Lisa smiled in return.
"Th-thank you very much. Please put the mask back on when you're ready."
After another minute passes, the voice echoes through the room once more. In the next moment, both Charlotte and Lisa surprisingly ran up to me before wrapping their arms around me, pulling us all together in a group hug. Their warmth... It's bubbling up inside of me. I end up clutching at their uniforms, my smile only growing more as time passes. I'm so glad that I managed to do well. I don't know what I would've done if I had killed Lisa...