Chapter 48 – Gate Capital (Part 2)
Chapter 48 – Gate Capital (Part 2)
"...You can read minds?" Zane’s voice was low, almost disbelieving, as he stared at Elizabeth. He blinked slowly, his expression unreadable, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of surprise.
"Mmm." Elizabeth nodded, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "But it’s not like I can read everything. My Stigma... it gives me fragments—snippets—of what the person is thinking about in that exact moment. Not full sentences, not coherent thoughts... just emotions, flashes, and surface-level ideas."
She paused, lowering her head as if the next words were physically painful to get out. "I-I’m really sorry, Zane. Please forgive me."
"For what?" Zane’s brows drew together slightly. He had been trying to process what she’d said, but the apology pulled him from his thoughts.
"When we first met, I... I tried to read your thoughts," she admitted, her voice trembling. "And even now, I picked up a few things. I didn’t mean to... I just— I’m sorry."
Zane stared at her for a long moment. His gaze was steady, unreadable. Eventually, he leaned back, closing his eyes.
"I see," he murmured. "You read my mind. That’s... something."
He took a deep breath, sifting through the storm of thoughts racing through his head. That uncomfortable feeling of exposure crept in, but he didn’t lash out. He didn’t raise his voice or withdraw. He simply asked, "What did you see?"
Elizabeth hesitated. "It was your voice... in your head. It sounded angry. Really angry. And sad... so very sad."
Her voice was soft—tentative—and yet, each word struck deeper than she could possibly realize.