Madoka's pace was hurried as he jogged down the stairs. His teeth clenched, but he couldn't tell if it was because of his strange mixed emotions at Clair and Faqir, or a sense of impending dread about the scenario. Something felt overwhelmingly wrong, but there was really no reason to be afraid--everything would be fine, right?
Right?
Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, Madoka returned to Eriko and Mercy, crossing his arms. Eriko deserved to know, no matter what Faqir had insisted.
"She's with Faqir," Madoka announced, hating how cold his voice sounded. He tried to mask it with an awkward cough. "W-well, if that would be okay, um...we can all head up together?"