Utena remained silent for a moment, save for the soft percussion of her finger tapping against her book. The topic of power and what people did with it was what had initially drawn her to this book, and to Chilton's office. However, the matter of misery and how it warped those it touched was both unexpected and more relevant than she cared to admit.

It will become more relevant in her future, when she uncovers the deepest secrets her friends and new "family" hold, but that's a story for another time.

"It didn't have to end that way," she said finally. Her gaze was still turned downward, but her voice was firm and resolute. "There had to be some way it could have gone differently. Not everybody makes the same mistakes he did, do they?"

The question was rhetorical. Or at least, it was supposed to be rhetorical. Utena was never in the same position as Chilton to know men like White... or his friends from Baltimore.