Junjio sank back into the pillows with open disgust. "Adults negotiate like cowards when drinks are involved." Joji rubbed his face with his free hand.
"If we survive today, you may complain about my parenting in a secure medical room."
Elias took the tray off the bed and set it aside.
"We need to reach Elara before Vincent changes the terms, because she is holding him alone and that usually means the situation is worse than she is admitting."
Yui checked the scanner, then the hallway. "The fastest route is back down the stairs, unless Junjio can move us." The boy closed his eyes.
"I can try, but everything still turns the wrong way when I reach for distance, with near feeling far, up feeling sideways, and people sounding behind me when they are in front of me." Elias nodded.
"That is the reversal effect, and I have a version of it too, which gets uglier when I force it while scared."
