Hanako's long black hair framed her face like a dark curtain, strands catching the light as she leaned in closer from her spot on the couch.
A fresh bead of sweat traced a slow path down her temple, glistening before it disappeared into the collar of her cardigan. Her dark eyes, still carrying faint traces of that hypnotic blue glow at the edges, darted across Chiyo's small, composed features.
She blinked rapidly, her posture rigid, one hand gripping the edge of the couch cushion as if to steady herself.
"I… I clearly gave you a command," she stammered, her voice rising with disbelief.
The words tumbled out in a rush, each one laced with the raw shock of someone whose greatest strength had just faltered.
"It was a simple one, something that should have taken hold right away. You should have felt it—the pull, the need to obey without even thinking twice.
But you just… sat there. Smiling. Like nothing happened."
