Elora's fears came true: something did happen to the two of them, and by the sound of Sigma's tone when mentioning the 'disciplining' it must have been unimaginably horrible like torture, and the very thought caused visible shivers and sweating in her. It did explain why the two of them disappeared for as long as they did, even with Ian's wounds. She took another look at Ian, trying to figure out what was done to him, but she couldn't find any answers. Maybe it was better that way; Elora's already seen enough to upset anyone, let alone someone as timid as her. Even the mere sight of blood on Ian was enough to make her squirm.

But does this mean Serah knew all along? She was awfully quiet about Ian when she mentioned him, and kind of sidestepped the issue.

[i]Maybe she was also worried, and just didn't want to incite any panic? I hope so...[/i]

Sigma also ordered not to cause burden, and that made her think: Was she making trouble? She wasn't purposefully doing it if she was, and hoped Sigma would understand that. At least she would be available for talking to later, which was a relief. She hasn't got a chance to talk to her since the mock battle.

Sigma then called Elora over, and wanted her to bring the cake too.
"Umm, okay," she answered and took the cake. She relocated it to where Sigma was. She did notice Ian staring intensely at the cheesy treat, and she considered sharing a slice with him, but squad leader's orders came first. She wasn't sure, but she thought she heard something about cake strategy. She didn't know whether that meant sharing the cake, or using it as a weapon. It wasn't hard to guess which option Elora preferred.