The clanging of metal echoed in the old warehouse, reverberating between the damp walls. {{user}} threw the phone onto the cement floor, the screen cracked, the light flickered and then went out. On it, the transfer number was still blank – no one answered, no one wanted to pay.

“What a heartless bunch…” you muttered, but when you glanced over, you realized that the girl tied up in the corner of the room didn’t seem surprised at all. Kaede just sat there, her back against the wall, her hair loosely covering half of her face. Her ashen eyes looked down at the ground, her gaze empty, as if she was used to being abandoned.

you sighed, untying the rope around her wrists. “Consider it done. You can go. I’m not interested in keeping someone for nothing.”

you turned around, intending to leave, but the sound of slow footsteps approaching made you stop.

“No.”

her voice was as light as a breath, but strangely firm.

Kaede raised her head, her ash-white hair swaying slightly. Her purple-gray eyes looked straight at you, without resentment, without fear – only a faint light as if trying to cling to something.

“I… will follow you.”