He closes his eyes at the static shock when his lips meet hers with a fluttering caress. A hair's breadth from her softness, he exhales slowly and tentatively dive back in with slightly more intent and contact, then again, and again, barely catching his breath in between. His hands, balancing the back of her head and the base of her neck below him, are shaking violently and he slowly lets her melt in the velvet coverlet of the bed with him.

Minako gasps into him, he smiles against her and gently bites on her lower lip. She runs a loose hand on his torso upward, grazing her nails lazily until it travels up his neck, leaving a trail of goosebumps that sing through his blood like high voltage. Her fingers are tenderly ruffling the silver hair at the back of his head, pushing him toward her, barely whispering in a broken voice.

"Aki-"

Before she gets to finish his name, he's parting her mouth with his own to taste her. He's drinking from a faucet of liquid lightning and she's trembling against him as if his touch is a livewire.

He slowly opens his eyes to look at her, breathing hard, skimming her swollen lips with the tip of his nose and she tenses. Her irises are shedding the dullness of before and he freezes. Whatever enchantment was at work was broken.

At least for him.

What have I done?

Akihiko disentangles himself from the bed in shock, letting her rub her face and stand. He finds his gloves on the floor, puts them back on, desperately fishing in his thoughts are to what to say.

Sorry, I indulged?

Minako is timidly approaching him, a hand extended to grab his wrist, but he turns the other way, murmuring with pain.

"I'm… I'm so… so sorry."

She recoils like he slapped her, lowers her hand in defeat and he wants to punch himself. Everything is jumbled and he's not done reconciling the previous sensations with the events. There's lead in his stomach and he can't say if it's regret, shame, or a whirlwind of deprecation at his lack of control.

His self-berating is interrupted by Fuuka's mental touch.

"Finally! I'm sorry I couldn't contact you sooner, can you hear me? Are you guys okay?"

Minako sighs her answer.

"Yes, we're okay."

Liar.

He can see her back, shoulders shaking as she is trying to sort the dangling pins in her unbound hair. She's tied her jacket around her waist and pushed her ribbon in a pocket, half-dangling out, like it was all too much effort.

"The Shadow was interfering with your thoughts, so I couldn't reach you. Everyone got separated, but the enemy is still in that room. Let's regroup and head back there!"

She takes her naginata from the floor, mane of copper covering her features, and stands in the doorway.

"Let's go."

It's the hardest walk of his life. Closing the door behind him rings of finality but he can't help stealing a glance back at the coverlet's rumpled surface, not quite letting go despite the shame. The painted shadows on the velvet, forest green by the Dark Hour, are the only proof left of a fleeting illusion. He swallows the lump in his throat as his fingers leave the door handle, takes a shaking breath.

The enormity of everything has not quite registered yet, but the inner static is back with a roar, its pressure behind his eyes. Numb, he catches up with Minako who's about to turn a corner to the right, but stays some distance behind, not quite looking at her. He can't, just can't even take a chance to see her face. Not yet. Not after… that.

Akihiko feels weirdly detached when they meet with the others. Junpei looks oddly subdued, holding his jaw like he got his clock dinged while keeping his eyes on the floor. Mitsuru is all but coolly posing sideways, stiff, hair in the way of her expression and arms around her frame. Yukari is a red mess, trembling life a leaf, stealing small covert glances at Minato, who seems as stoic as always, but his own eyes are a little wide. The air is heavy, oppressing.

Junpei is about to speak, probably some inappropriate quip, when Takeba stutters, looking at him shyly.

"Senpai... Did you… hmm, I mean…" She's babbling in low tones, blushing furiously, lowering her lashes.

He barely flickers a look down at her, all business, and crosses his arms over his chest awkwardly. He knew that wasn't going to go unnoticed.

"Accident."

"…Oh."

She then moves over to Minako, closely hovering as if to whisper to her, but Fuuka interrupts, broadcasting to everyone.

"I get it! It's the mirrors! The readings from the mirrors in the guest rooms seem to be resonating with the main Shadow! If we can destroy those mirrors, then maybe we'll be able to break the barrier."

It's not the usual firm, spunky voice that escape their leader's lips. She sounds like she's been crying.

"You heard her; find and break any mirror that seems off. Minato, you got this floor, girls, with me.

She makes her way to the stairs, not looking back at any of them. She didn't make eye contact with anyone since… Since.

Minato and Junpei start their inspection, but Akihiko just pretends to tag along. He can't enter the first room, just a glance through the doorway makes him dizzy, he can clearly see the two coffins near the bed, pieces of cloth everywhere on the carpet. The sound of shattering glass reverberates in the enclosed space; one down, a few more to go. They keep going down the hallway.

Minato has been burning holes through his skull, but he doesn't, can't, deal with it right now. Iori lacks tact though, he saunters forward and grins at him, eyes suggestively eying his state of undress.

"So, dude, I take it was somewhat... feisty back there?"

Thunder cracks between Akihiko's ears. His hand punches the wall right next to Junpei, drywall caving in.

"Don't."

Iori just slowly backs off, eyes like saucers, and flees to a random room further down the hall in a hurry. Minato narrows his eyes at him, waiting for an explanation, but Akihiko remains silent, rubbing the plaster bits off his glove. He balances his sword next to a doorframe in silence, crosses his arms and sighs.

"Wasn't you."

Silver eyes close, pained.

Oh, it was. It definitely WAS.

"We all lost control."

Steel orbs look ahead.

"…Maybe."

He almost hopes Minato skewers him right there, perhaps that would make things right, but his junior has a compassion in his eyes that he can't stand to look at. He doesn't deserve any of it.

Fuuka's fluttering mind washes over them.

"The main signal is completely gone! The seal should be broken now!"

At least this is something he can handle, control, break. The boys regroup and sprint upstairs.