Controlled? If only he had such an excuse. His decisions had been all his own. He shook his head and let Bridget hug him, though he didn't move to hug her back, nor did he look up. He could see though; Mana's metallic Akuma body, hear his voice as he cursed him, his cries as the claw crushed him, taking him from this world once again. He'd cried then too, not because of the deep cut to his left eye, but because it was like Mana had gone all over again. He'd have gladly switched places, even knowing what an Akuma was; what it could become.

He'd sat for a long time in the graveyard afterward, staring at the mound of earth and the stone with Mana's name inscribed upon it. He'd always tried to forget. Tried to pretend that it didn't bother him. Pretended that if he kept busy enough or tried hard enough or got strong enough that somehow... that would make up for it. But the memory remained, vivid as if it had happened just yesterday. And mixed with it, were her feelings as well.