Maya's eyes lit up as she recognized me, her grip tightening on my hand as she pulled me closer, her voice warm and genuine. "You are Teacher's son…?" she exclaimed, her excitement palpable.
There was no sarcasm, no malice—just sincere concern. "It's been a long time since we met… How is Teacher…?"
I was surprised by her emotion. She wasn't faking it—she genuinely cared. "Mom is good…" I said, studying her as she seemed to relax, but only for a moment.
Maya's face softened, but her eyes flickered with guilt. "That's good…" she said, her voice trailing off as she looked away, her thoughts a storm of regret and fear. I activated my Mind Reading ability, and her true feelings flooded my mind.
[I am sorry, Teacher, for what happened before… but I really had no choice…]
A backstory. A betrayal. And Maya wasn't the villain—or at least, not by choice.
