[ creatures, elizabeth says, and it sticks to the air like the unspoken conversation it is. yuno does not brush it aside this time. ]

I'm scared of them.

[ a gentle admission. elizabeth doesn't need to worry about yuno, though; she does that for herself, too. even if she doesn't show it, the thought is always there. she inhales, exhales, sharply. ]

But I'm not afraid of the people they took.

[ rhys was... unfortunate. she thought they might be able to understand each other. one day, right? just like with mom and dad, there was a glimmer of hope that maybe yuno could connect with someone, and then... and then he went off the rails. ]

You came back. We can bring them back, too. There's more, isn't there...? We just need to know which they are, and vote right.