Ann waves him off, brow furrowed with concern. "Hey, I get it," she says gently. "It's not like I had people to talk to about my circumstances either--not until I got here. If it helps at all, I'm glad to listen."

She frowns, thinking. "If you're asking me...it sounds like Maruki is scared of you. Not just of the idea that you could fight back and wrest control from him...but scared of what you represent. Because as long as you're not happy, everything he's created is a lie, and he knows it."

Cynically, Ann wonders how long it would have taken for Maruki to decide that Akira needed more of a permanent fix. Sure, he apparently wants him to be 'happy,' but given the weighing of one individual against his dreaming masses...eventually, something would have to give.