An Illusion Trap

Carl took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. Again, he took a deep breath and then exhaled. Once again, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Calm down, Carl," Miku said next to him. She had been watching him do the same thing ever since, and she was a bit frustrated cause he didn't stop. "You'll do well."

"Thanks, Miku. But that won't help me. Your words are biased towards me," he said. What else besides her being his companion? She would definitely support him, though others did not.

"Sure. You're my partner."

He was right, wasn't he?

"You know what everyone thinks of me?"

"You depend on me a lot," she answered quickly.

Carl showed his surprise. "You know?"

Miku shrugged. "I'm just guessing. That's normal. When one level is really high, the other depends on them," she explained.

"So am I," he concluded in a whisper.

"No, you're not," she corrected. "I'm asking you to depend on me until you're ready."