Caleb drew in a long breath, fingers laced together in front of his face.
"So… back then, I tried to punish a woman named Sarah," he said quietly, his tone heavy, like he was pulling open an old wound. "But… another esper interfered with me. And that ass-groping gossip? Just a cheap lie."
The girls exchanged tense glances. One of them—the short-haired one, eyes sharp with suspicion—suddenly cut in.
"Why did you want to punish Sarah?"
Caleb lowered his head for a moment, then looked back up, his stare razor sharp.
"Because Sarah was involved in exploiting wealth. She wasn't just some victim of rumors. She was part of the dirty game. And… the condition for activating my Mind Control… is touch."
The room dropped silent again. But one of the others—the girl who'd been boldest with the knife earlier—gritted her teeth and glared at Caleb.
"Then why didn't you use Mind Control just now, huh? You're just all talk?"
