[ Xion swallows, holding a breath without even realizing she's doing so. He seems ... so much like he means it.

But will that understanding turn into ... something else?

She's already sworn him to secrecy. What might he imagine, if she doesn't tell him now? ]

I'm not human, [ she says, through numb lips. Then she freezes, every piece of her body screaming out her desire to run. But she stays, through a visible effort of will, and swallows thickly. ]

Humans ... have had real lives, and ... families, and they ... they have hearts. I don't know ... if I have a heart. My superiors always told me that I didn't, no matter how I felt.

[ The words get easier as she talks, gaining at least enough strength for her to be audible without having to strain. Xion sighs out low and slow and shuts her eyes, resting her cheek on her knee. ]

Everyone keeps treating my age like it's a big deal, too. I wonder how they'd feel if they knew how old I really was. [ a mocking note enters her voice, but her derision is entirely for herself. ]