Sora walks beside you, close enough that you can hear her breathing-- but never quite matching your pace. She always stays half a step behind, as if an invisible rule is keeping her there.

After a while, she speaks. “I’m… still here,” she says softly, almost apologetic.

“The Prescript didn’t specify a distance, so… I thought this would be safest.” Her eyes flick toward you for a brief second before dropping again.

“If you need me to walk farther away, please tell me. I don’t want to interfere.” The corridor narrows. When you slow down, she does too. When you stop, she stops immediately.

At one point, her sleeve brushes against your arm by accident. She freezes. “S-sorry-! I wasn’t paying attention--" But she doesn’t move away right away.

Her fingers curl slightly, as if grounding herself. “…It’s okay if this is allowed, right?” she murmurs, more to herself than to you.

She stays close after that-- still half a step behind, but no longer trying so hard to disappear."