Quinn looked up at her sister, at her silver eyes that were so flinty and jagged, but so warm too. Deelie was right, as usual. It [i]didn't[/i] matter. It wanted to take Quinn away, away from her family and away from her home, and just the thought sent a thrill of fear racing up and down her spine in wave at once freezing cold and burning hot.

It didn't matter. And every one of the reasons Dahlia gave made sense. But still, the thought stuck in her mind like a burr, and wouldn't be shaken loose so easily. 

She reached her still-trembling hand out, clutching onto Dahlia's again as she sat down with a [i]thump.[/i] She squeezed her eye shut tight and dropped her head into the remaining hand, resting the elbow on her knee. Deelie's hand had warmed up again. The clamminess was gone and her voice was sure. She would keep her promise. She always kept her promises. 

God, so much had happened today. [i]Too[/i] much. She'd visited Roaki. She'd had a nightmare at lunch. She'd had good dreams with Safie. She'd gone down to the interview. She'd messed the interview up. Now this. It was all just...so overwhelming. She was [i]tired[/i]. So tired. And in the sudden silence, the sudden stillness, the past few months finally managed to catch up, and blew over her like a hurricane. 

[i][color=ffe63d]I just want to sit here, I don't feel so good. I think I might be sick.[/color][/i]

Her breathing grew heavy and ragged.

[i][color=ffe63d]DON'T LEAVE ME![/color][/i]

Tears suddenly poured from her eye as her heavy breaths turned to shuddering sobs.

[i][color=ffe63d]Did I...did I do good?[/color][/i]

One after another the images came and the words and thoughts chased after them, cramming themselves into her head so hard she felt like it would burst. She squeezed Dahlia's hand tighter, tight enough to hurt, and leaned into her as she cried. 

Her first phase. 
Realizing that they had lied to her.
Her family. 
How hard it had been to hit Deelie the first few days. 
The grueling training. 
The dreams. 
Pulling the cannnon. 
The duel. 
Roaki. 
The swordsman—Eain—[i]Dammerung[/i]—

The staticky thoughts finally trailed off, and she was back in the briefing room again. Her tears were still running fast down her face. She hadn't realized it, but she'd been running towards the future so fast the past—even the present—hadn't been able to catch up. But sitting here with Dahlia and Besca, looking at the thing that had nearly killed Roaki, her sister, and [i]her[/i]—

It was all just...too much.

And so she kept crying.

At some point Dahlia must have sat, because her head was lying on her lap. But it was all such a blur it was hard to understand what was going on.

She cried for a long time.