It is at this point that Jingyi stops. He no longer moves forward, even though night has finally fallen. The brightest stars are already starting to glimmer despite the glow of the city around them and the shadows (the normal kind) thicken around them. There is still no movement, but at this point he no longer pays attention to anything around them.

Instead, he gives Miu his full attention. His brow is furrowed, his expression screwed into one of deep confusion. The sheathed sword in his hand rattles as his grip tightens.

"What?" He stares at her. What she has just told him does not make sense in his world, and he cannot see it making sense in any world. She is not much younger than he is, he thinks. "This happened to you?" he asks, just to clarify. There is a thread of outrage in his tone, growing thicker and darker the longer he speaks. "They did not acknowledge that you were not ordinary, and then when finally they did they sacrificed you?"