As he held the Seal toward her, Manaka rested her weight on one hand and leaned closer to it. She remained silent as he explained, and though she never lifted her gaze toward Walter's face, it was clear that she was listening intently, her bright eyes wide as she took in the new information.

When he fell quiet, she finally turned her attention to his face again, lips quirking up in a smile that was almost apologetic. "They scarred you." Again, there was that strange feeling of his experiences being both like and unlike the world she knew. She tapped a finger against the couch cushions, her mind churning over the information as though she could make the pieces fall into place by sheer will.