This...!

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, but Delia's mind was racing. Aiko and Elric's movements were so slow to her that she felt as though she could dodge them at any time, and yet, she felt conflicted.

Something inside was screaming logical deductions at her. Her mother was long gone, how could she possibly know whether she was alive or not? And, how could she guarantee that even if she was alive, that she would continue to be after Delia died?

And what about this voice? Just who was it? Also, why wasn't anyone reacting to an outside influence interfering with the proceedings? That clearly meant that the actions of this person were being covertly accepted and thus wasn't that all the more reason for Delia to ignore them? After all, that meant this person had to work in secret because if they pushed the line too far, what they were doing wouldn't be allowed anymore.