Something inside Zein Shoin had begun to shift, slowly but undeniably, and the control she had built so carefully over time no longer felt as solid as it once had,
because every word spoken tonight had chipped away at it, leaving behind something raw and unguarded that she didn't know how to handle.
"I hate this," she said suddenly.
"Hate what?" Ace asked.
"This… whatever this is," she replied.
"It's not a bad thing," he said.
"It is," she insisted.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because it makes me weak," she said.
"No, it doesn't," he replied.
"It makes me lose control," she said.
"You're not losing control," he said.
"I am," she argued.
"No," he said quietly, "you're being honest."
Zein's expression tightened.
"I was fine before this," she said.
"No, you weren't," he replied.
"At least I didn't feel anything," she said.
Ace studied her for a moment.
"And now?" he asked.
Zein hesitated.
"…now it hurts," she admitted.