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~from Decim's POV 2nd person~
You sent that bastard off in the down elevator, ignoring his pleas and screams and forcibly escorting him and keeping your back to Akira because you didn't want her to see you as you were right now - angry, violent...
...unsettled.
A minute after you sent him down, you heard a voice, barely louder than a whisper. "And me?"
You turned slightly to see Akira, kneeling on the ground, hands limp at her sides as her clothing was stained with her blood.
"What will you do with me?" she repeated, slightly louder but with no more emotion than the first time. Her eyes were empty; she seemed to sink into the floor, waiting for it to swallow her whole. "Will you send me to this...this Void, as well?" She paused, looking away. "I don't mind. It's where I should be."
You took slow steps towards her, finally crouching in front of her and looking into her blank eyes. "Stay," you said softly, flinching at your own words before repeating yourself, your voice becoming stronger. "Please, stay her. With me."
A bit of life returned to the dull shine in her eyes. "But why? I don't- I don't understand." Then she became unfocused again as she accidentally put her hand over stomach, watching as her palm came away red. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, staring at the ground. "I'm making such a mess. One moment." She began to stand, but as she did so, more blood gushed out of her stomach.
As she wobbled on her feet, you took her by her elbows, supporting her from behind. "It's fine, Miss. I will clean it up later, so you don't have to worry about it."
"Oh, but I can't," she whispered. "I'm being such an awful guest. Pardon me. Please, forgive me..." She kept repeating the words "forgive me" as tears streamed down her face and she went limp in your arms. You stared down at her in shock, apprehensive about what to do, until you decided to try something you've never tried before. Yes, she was already dead, but - if there was even the slightest possibility that she shared Chiyuki's soul - you couldn't stand to see her suffer.
So ever so slowly, you called back your control over your threads, and as they began forming at your fingertips, you pushed her shirt up slightly, exposing the gash in her stomach, and used your thread to suture the wound shut. Presently, the blood stopped flowing forth, and you relaxed somewhat.
Still, there was the small matter of the girl in your arms. With little other choice, you carried her to your personal quarters on a lower floor, laying her down in your bed and ignoring the blood that was now staining your sheets. You considered calling Nona, who still worked her way around every now and then, but you remembered what had happened last time.
She erased Chiyuki's memories and let Chiyuki become a doll.
The sad thing was that being spared her memories had probably been a better choice for Chiyuki, and there was nothing either Nona or you could do about the fact that Chiyuki would eventually rot away. Human souls weren't meant to stay in Quindecim for a lengthy period of time.
Still, despite knowing all of this, despite processing the logic that should have driven you like all the other arbiters - you hesitated to inform your colleagues. Perhaps it was the fact that you were slightly more human than them, or perhaps it had nothing to do with that at all.
You tried to tell yourself that you would contact Nona tomorrow, but even so, you felt himself avoiding her.
What am I doing? you asked yourself, rubbing your forehead. It's not like I can hide her here forever. And yet, you looked at the bed, upon which rested Akira, and you couldn't help but hope that time would pass slowly for you.
***
The next day of work was slow, so after closing up, you went to your room and found her still lying there, staring at the ceiling and looking as lifeless as, well, a corpse.
"How are you feeling?" you asked in your soothing voice, but she didn't respond. You decided to try again, but with a simpler question. "What's your name, Miss?"
Her mouth parted of its own accord, her eyes still as glassy and reflective as before, appearing uninhabited. "Akira," she murmured. "I was called Akira."
You let her sit in her own silence for a moment, sensing that she was preparing herself to say something, and sure enough, after a minute, she spoke.
"If I can't feel pain..." she began slowly, still looking at the ceiling. "Then why do I hurt so much?"
"I...I do not know," you answered, wishing that you could absorb the pain she suffered. "Let me ask you something, Miss."
"Call me Akira."
"All right then, Akira." You exhaled, feeling nervous, another new emotion to you. Finally, you spoke. "I'm not supposed to feel anything, so why is it that I suddenly do?"
Tears leaked out of Akira's eyes, unbidden. "I think that we're both broken," she whispered, her voice cracking through her crying, and you took a step closer and wiped the tears off of her face.
"I don't think that you're broken," you said honestly as she finally met your eyes. "I think you're perfect just the way you are."
She sniffled. "I appreciate the gesture, but..." She shook her head. "I killed myself. I killed myself. I ended my own life, and for what?" She closed her eyes, wincing in the deep agony that consumed her. "I'm not strong enough. I wasn't strong enough while I was alive, and now that I'm dead, I'm just a mess."
"If you're a mess, then you are the most beautiful mess I've ever seen," you whispered as you pressed your lips to her forehead. Then, standing up, you turned, facing away from her, and left her in the room as you shut the door. You leaned again it, your thoughts bouncing in a million different directions. What have I done? Is this what it means to be human?

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