The silence stretched between them. Akira stood frozen in his own doorway, his bag still hanging from his shoulder, while Rina waited for an answer that could change everything.
"Ai, I need a read on her," Akira thought urgently. "How bad is this?"
"The memory seal is at 23% integrity and dropping, darling. Her subconscious has been chipping away at it for days. That night on the rooftop, the demonic energy exposure... it's all coming back in fragments. She's not going to let this go."
A system notification flashed across his vision.
[CRITICAL SYSTEM ALERT: MEMORY SEAL BREACH]
[RINA KUROGANE IS ATTEMPTING TO RECLAIM "THE TRUTH"]
[CHOICES AVAILABLE - SELECT CAREFULLY]
[A: THE GASLIGHTER - Fabricate a convincing lie about family drama or SPIU harassment. Reward: +50 PP, Memory seal temporarily restored. Risk: EXTREME - Affinity drops to 20, builds "Hidden Resentment" trait, future betrayal potential.]
