Mara pushed her chair back abruptly, standing up. She paced the small space between the desk and the filing cabinets, running a hand through her hair, dislodging strands from her usually severe bun.
"It's not about him!" she insisted, her voice rising slightly. "It's about the principle! The Association issues a kill order based on flimsy evidence, frames him for murder… They bypassed Guild authority. They lied."
"They always lie," Juna countered calmly. "That's how they operate. You know this." She watched Mara pace, her expression unreadable. "This isn't about principles. This is about him. Why are you protecting Fin?"
"I'm not protecting him!" she spun back, glaring at Juna. "I'm trying to understand why the Association wants him dead! There's more to this. That Mana Cell… Project Chimera… whatever that is."
Juna tilted her head. "So you risk everything for… curiosity? For a D-rank anomaly who might be more dangerous than the Association claims?"
