Emily floated in the darkness, weightless and disconnected. The void around her was vast, empty, yet she wasn't alone.
Echo's presence loomed, heavier than it had ever been. The other alters lingered at the edges of her consciousness, wary, their usual chatter silenced by the force of his existence.
**"Why so quiet?"** Echo's voice was deep, smooth, but laced with something that sent a ripple of unease through the system.
Demi was the first to respond, hesitant. **"You've never stayed this long before."**
**"Because you've never been this useless before."** Echo's tone was sharp now, the weight of his frustration settling over them like a storm. **"She is spiraling. You've failed to protect her. You bicker, you hesitate, and she suffers because of it."**
Eli, the usual voice of reason, stepped forward. **"We are doing our best—"**
**"Your best isn't good enough."**
A heavy silence fell. The void shuddered slightly, but Emily remained still, unaffected by the growing tension. Echo's power was absolute here. He had ensured she heard nothing, trapping her in the soundproof abyss of her subconscious.
———
In the real world, Emily rested in Ryan's penthouse, her body still and fragile beneath the dim bedroom lights. Kia sat beside her, fingers brushing against Emily's wrist, a small attempt to pull her back to the surface.
"Come on, Em," Kia murmured, concern knitting her brows. "You're safe now."
But Emily didn't stir.
Just beyond the door, Ryan stood in his study, his voice low as he spoke to the specialist he had called in.
"She's had episodes before, but nothing this severe?" The doctor's voice crackled over the speakerphone.
Ryan's gaze darkened. "Not that I've witnessed."
He had done more than just summon a specialist. He had already contacted Emily's therapist, using his influence to obtain her medical records. He needed to know everything. Every weakness, every trigger, every hidden part of her mind that she tried to keep locked away.
Because Emily was his now.
And nothing—not her illness, not her alters, not even herself—was going to change that.