CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 48 – GATE CAPITAL (PART 2)

Chapter 48 – Gate Capital (Part 2)

"...You can read minds?" Zane’s voice was low, almost disbelieving, as he stared at Elizabeth. He blinked slowly, his expression unreadable, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of surprise.

"Mmm." Elizabeth nodded, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "But it’s not like I can read everything. My Stigma... it gives me fragments—snippets—of what the person is thinking about in that exact moment. Not full sentences, not coherent thoughts... just emotions, flashes, and surface-level ideas."

She paused, lowering her head as if the next words were physically painful to get out. "I-I’m really sorry, Zane. Please forgive me."

"For what?" Zane’s brows drew together slightly. He had been trying to process what she’d said, but the apology pulled him from his thoughts.

"When we first met, I... I tried to read your thoughts," she admitted, her voice trembling. "And even now, I picked up a few things. I didn’t mean to... I just— I’m sorry."

Zane stared at her for a long moment. His gaze was steady, unreadable. Eventually, he leaned back, closing his eyes.

"I see," he murmured. "You read my mind. That’s... something."

He took a deep breath, sifting through the storm of thoughts racing through his head. That uncomfortable feeling of exposure crept in, but he didn’t lash out. He didn’t raise his voice or withdraw. He simply asked, "What did you see?"

Elizabeth hesitated. "It was your voice... in your head. It sounded angry. Really angry. And sad... so very sad."

Her voice was soft—tentative—and yet, each word struck deeper than she could possibly realize.

Zane’s mind blanked for a moment. That gaze she gave him—worried, sincere—wasn’t the judgmental one he had always imagined others would have if they ever peeked inside his mind. Instead, it was filled with concern. Pity, even.

He didn’t know what to say.

She had seen a part of him that he didn’t even want to acknowledge himself. And yet, oddly enough... he didn’t feel violated. If anything, he felt lighter, as if a small part of that darkness had been seen, accepted, and allowed to exist in someone else’s awareness.

’Why does it feel like I can breathe easier now?’ He clenched his fists under the table, tension crawling up his spine. ’No. I shouldn’t let this happen. I can’t afford to be seen like this. Not now. Not ever.’

Still, he asked, "Did you see... anything else about me?"

Silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating.

"I know," Elizabeth whispered. "Your mother isn’t... here with you, is she?"

Zane’s breath hitched for a brief moment, but he forced himself to stay calm. "Is that all?"

Elizabeth nodded slowly. "Yeah. That’s all I saw."

Zane exhaled, a long and quiet breath that made his shoulders drop. A part of him had been bracing for worse, but it hadn’t come. For now, at least.

"I’m really sorry for your loss," Elizabeth said, her voice wavering as tears welled in her eyes. "I didn’t mean to know something so personal. I swear. I... I hate this Stigma. I didn’t ask for it. I never wanted it. I just... I can’t stop it. Sometimes it pulls me in before I can even think."

Her voice cracked as she grabbed her head with both hands, squeezing her temples like she was trying to force the thoughts away. "Ever since it awakened, it’s like it’s been eating at me. I can’t trust my own mind anymore."

Zane watched her unravel in front of him, and it was painfully clear—this wasn’t just a case of an over-curious girl poking into someone’s memories. She was drowning in something she couldn’t control.

’So... she knows about my mother. But it seems she didn’t catch wind of my system—or anything sensitive.’ He frowned. ’That’s good. But I don’t know if that will always be the case. Her Stigma might evolve. If it does... will my mental resistance still be enough to keep the system hidden?’

He remembered how Fiora’s mental abilities had failed against his mind. But that was then. Elizabeth’s power might grow past hers one day.

His gaze hardened. She was a liability. But she was also... valuable.

Very valuable.

Someone who could read thoughts—even partially—was priceless. It wasn’t just a combat advantage. It was information, deception, counterintelligence... all in one. In the right hands, it was a key to victory. And right now, Zane needed every edge he could get.

But her personality... she was too sincere. Too open. Would she be able to keep his secrets?

"Z-Zane?" Elizabeth stammered as she caught his intense stare. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked away, pushing her glasses up nervously.

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he studied her, calculating and silent.

’She won’t leave me alone,’ he thought. ’Even if I pushed her away, she’d probably keep trying to talk to me... Maybe that’s not a bad thing.’

"Don’t worry about it," he finally said. "If this urge really is something you can’t resist... then there’s no point in blaming you. I forgive you."

Her head snapped up. "Y-You do?"

"Yeah," he said, voice steady. "And you were right. My mother... she died five years ago."

"I’m really sorry—"

"No need to say it," he cut in gently. "What’s done is done."

Then he leaned forward slightly, curious. "But about your Stigma... I want to know more. What are its limits?"

"Limits?" Elizabeth repeated, unsure.

"Yeah. Like, can you use it on animals? Or non-human beings?"

"Oh—um, I tried it on my cat, Simon... but it didn’t work. I couldn’t read anything."

"So strictly humans, then?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"And how close does the target have to be?"

"Within a few feet, usually. Any farther and it gets fuzzy. I need to be pretty close to get anything."

Zane tapped his fingers against the table, thinking. ’So proximity-based. Still... even with that, the potential is insane. If trained properly, she could detect lies, intentions... even anticipate attacks. It’s basically a cheat code for interrogation.’

His mind drifted again. ’A system user, an S-rank monster, and now a telepath? All from Lower Earth... this can’t be normal.’

"There’s something going on this year," he muttered. "Too many outliers. Something suspicious is happening."

Elizabeth tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind." Zane shook his head. "Just thinking out loud."

A pause. Then, "What rank were you assigned?"

She blinked. "Oh... um, C-Rank. I got a C."

"C?" Zane raised a brow. ’That’s laughable. That Stigma alone should be A-Rank, minimum. Whatever system they’re using to assess talents is broken.’

"Well," he said aloud, "for what it’s worth, I think your ability is incredibly strong. I know it’s tough, living with something that makes you feel like a monster. But if you train it—control it—it could become your greatest strength."

Elizabeth’s eyes widened, shimmering with unspoken gratitude. "R-Really? You... you think so?"

Zane nodded. "Yeah. Don’t be ashamed of it. You have something most people would kill to possess. Learn to use it. And you’ll go far."

A faint smile touched her lips, small and uncertain—but genuine.

In that moment, for the first time since they boarded the train, there was no tension between them. Just quiet understanding.

And somewhere deep inside, Zane knew—this girl was going to be important.

Maybe even more than he realized.