Emily drifted through the haze of her episode, lost in the space between consciousness and oblivion. Her body felt weightless, her mind fragmented. The familiar darkness surrounded her, that isolated place where she had woken up so many times before.
But this time, she wasn't alone.
A voice, deep and steady, broke through the emptiness.
**"Emily."**
She stiffened. The presence was familiar but distant, like an echo of something she had always known yet never truly met.
**"You need to breathe."**
Her pulse slowed, the crushing weight in her chest easing just slightly. It wasn't Eli. It wasn't Demi.
**"Who are you?"** she whispered into the void.
Silence stretched before the voice answered. **"Echo."**
Her blood ran cold. Echo—the one no one spoke of, the unknown alter that only surfaced in the worst of moments. The one the others kept hidden from her.
**"Why are you here?"** she asked, her voice shaking.
**"Because you needed me."** His tone was calm, almost soothing, yet there was something unsettling about him. **"I don't come unless I have to."**
She swallowed hard. **"What are you?"**
A pause. Then, **"A reminder."**
Before she could ask more, a jolt pulled her from the darkness.
———
Emily's eyes fluttered open, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on her. The world around her was blurry, headlights flashing through the windshield. She was in a car, Kia's SUV, the familiar scent of lavender lingering in the air.
"Em?" Kia's voice was soft, laced with concern. "You're awake."
Emily tried to speak, but her throat was dry. Her body ached as if she had been fighting something in her sleep.
From the driver's seat, Kia glanced at her, her knuckles tight around the steering wheel. "You scared me," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't know what to do."
Emily barely processed the words before another voice filled the space—deeper, smooth, calculated.
Ryan.
He was on the phone with Kia, his voice carrying through the car's speaker. "How is she?"
"She just woke up," Kia answered quickly, trying to keep her voice steady. "But she was out for a while."
Emily's head lolled to the side, her energy drained. She could barely make out the rest of their conversation. Ryan's tone was calm, almost too calm, but she was too exhausted to pick apart his words.
Her eyelids grew heavy again, and before she could fight it, she was pulled back into sleep.
But this time, she wasn't afraid of the dark.
Because she knew Echo would be there, waiting.