Momo's fingers were ice-cold, gripping the edge of the counter at the police station. Her voice trembled as she forced herself to speak. "I-I'd like to make a report. About… about someone. H-He's been—"
"Stalking you?" the officer asked, barely glancing up from his paperwork.
"S-Stalking… and… a-attempting to…" Her voice faltered, her chest tightening. The room felt too bright, the fluorescent lights glaring down on her. Her heart pounded so loudly she wondered if the officer could hear it. "H-His name is Yozora Akimatsu. He—"
The officer's pen stopped.
Slowly, he looked up, his previously bored expression stiffening. His jaw tightened, and he exchanged a quick glance with another officer across the room. That officer immediately stood, walked over, and leaned in to whisper.
Momo's legs wobbled. Her shy, panicked nature screamed at her to run, to hide, to pretend this never happened. But the dark voids in Yozora's eyes flashed in her mind. That soft smile that whispered of a hundred ways he could end her.
She swallowed, her voice rising with a forced bravery. "Please… please, I… I'm scared. He's going to—"
"Miss," the officer interrupted, his voice calm but firm. "We… We can't help you."
Her blood ran cold. "W-What?"
"You shouldn't have come here," the officer whispered, his tone losing all pretense of politeness. "If the Akimatsus find out you reported one of them…"
"But… but he's just a student!" Momo's voice cracked. "He's… He's just—"
"He's an Akimatsu." The officer leaned forward, his face pale, his voice now a desperate, angry hiss. "Listen to me, girl. I don't know who you are or what you did to get one of them to notice you, but if you value your life—no, your family's lives—walk out of here, forget this place, and never come back."
Momo's lips quivered. Her knees nearly gave out. "B-But… but you're the police…"
"Against them?" The officer let out a bitter, humorless laugh. "The police? The army couldn't save you."
Her vision blurred with tears. The room felt like it was spinning. "Th-That's… That's impossible. This can't be real. This can't—"
"It is." He stepped back, already waving her away like a disease. "Now get out. And don't come back."
Momo's hands fell from the counter. Her feet moved on their own, stumbling back, her mind a whirlwind of fear, confusion, and growing despair. The station doors swung shut behind her, the cold air biting at her tear-stained cheeks.
There was no help. No one would protect her.
And Yozora's face flashed in her mind again, that sweet smile over the darkness.
She hugged herself, shivering.
Her first step away was slow, then faster, then she was running. Running because she knew she wasn't just helpless.