It wasn't a surprise to Kira to hear that other people thought they were gaining no ground ... but from Matsumoto, it was a little disturbing. She was usually optimistic, even if it was on the barest fringes of optimism. It could be worse seemed like her kind of phrase, while Kira lingered more on It could be better.

But she had a point. Even as they worked, diligently fulfilling the orders they were given, traveling from place to place, hunting down goals and new, hidden secrets ... were they even coming close to freedom? Was there a way out? If people had gotten outside but were still pulled back at night, then how far away did they have to run to finally be free of this place's influence?

"I won't," he said. And he wouldn't. Hinamori didn't need any more depression or pessimism among the ranks. "In a place like this, we shouldn't lose ... but we do. Because we're so far from invincible, it's almost laughable." They had never been invincible, but they had at least been powerful. Now, they had no power left. Nothing but thin, painful vestiges of their old abilities. "I wonder if they're going to break us, or if they just want to kill us."