"O–okay…" Rita muttered under her breath, trying to calm the strange feeling of butterflies in her stomach. "When I was a low-ranked Awakener, I had a team I did missions with. At that time, the rules weren't like this. We were more like an Adventurer's Guild in anime, you pick a mission and go."
Lucius stayed silent and let her speak.
"We finished a mission," Rita continued slowly. "And our team leader offered us drinks. I was the only girl in the group, but I didn't think much of it. I was young and stupid. I took the offer and drank with them."
Her eyes fell to his chest. "After a while… I slumped."
She swallowed hard, her throat tightening as she tried to continue. "When I woke up, I was in a room. My hands were bound with cuffs. They were—"
Lucius raised a hand gently.
"If you don't want to talk about it," he said. "then don't force yourself."
Rita closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "No… I have to."
Her lips trembled.
