The silence hung between Aether and Karnall like a razor-thin membrane, vibrating with unspoken tensions. "I don't want this," Aether said, his voice a blend of defiance and underlying vulnerability. His gaze dropped to the metallic arm, a cold prosthetic promise of functionality that felt more like an intrusion than restoration. "I mean, I lost my arm—that's devastating enough. But a metal arm? You can't be serious."
The six-eyed squidi regarded him with a gaze that seemed to penetrate beyond mere surface perception. There was something calculating in his stillness, a predatory patience that suggested multiple layers of intention beneath each syllable.
"Take it," Marquis interjected, his tone brooking no argument. Kai and Ryuji were already drifting away, their departures creating a vacuum of tension that seemed to concentrate the atmospheric pressure around Aether.
