She wasn't moving.
Not struggling.
Not reacting.
Just… still.
Too still.
"Nancy."
Kai's voice was firm now.
Not panicked.
Not yet.
No response.
Leo's jaw tightened. "This isn't normal."
Evan crouched slightly, studying her carefully.
"Her breathing is stable."
A pause.
"But the bond is completely shut down."
Kai looked at him sharply. "Fix it."
Evan didn't answer immediately.
Which was already a bad sign.
"We can't force it open," he said finally.
"If we try, it could backfire."
Kai exhaled sharply. "So we just wait?"
"No," Leo cut in.
He stepped closer.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Then crouched in front of me.
"Nancy."
His voice dropped slightly.
Lower.
More controlled.
"Look at me."
Nothing.
Not even a flicker.
The silence stretched.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Kai's restraint snapped first.
"This isn't her," he said, running a hand through his hair.
"She wouldn't just—shut down like this."
Evan's gaze didn't leave me.
"She didn't shut down."
A pause.
"She overloaded."
Leo's eyes darkened slightly.
"And this is the result?"
Evan nodded once.
"A defense response."
That didn't make it better.
It made it worse.
Because it meant—
This was her mind protecting itself.
And breaking through that?
Wouldn't be easy.
Kai stepped closer again.
This time—
He didn't hesitate.
He grabbed my shoulders gently.
"Nancy, this isn't funny."
Silence.
"I know you can hear me."
Still nothing.
His grip tightened slightly.
Not rough.
Just—
Desperate.
"Come back."
The words hit differently.
Softer.
Real.
And somewhere—
Deep inside that silence—
Something flickered.
Small.
Faint.
But there.
Evan noticed it first.
"Wait."
Kai stilled instantly. "What?"
"She reacted."
Leo's attention snapped back to me.
"Do it again," Evan said.
Kai frowned. "Do what?"
"Talk to her."
Kai let out a quiet breath.
Then leaned slightly closer.
"Nancy…"
This time—
His voice dropped.
Not sharp.
Not teasing.
Just—
Him.
"You're scaring me."
That did it.
Something shifted.
Not fully.
Not completely.
But enough.
A small crack in the silence.
My fingers twitched.
Barely.
But they moved.
Kai froze.
"…There."
Leo exhaled slowly.
"She's still in there."
Evan nodded slightly.
"But she's buried."
Great.
Love that for me.
Kai didn't move away.
Didn't let go.
"You don't get to hide like this," he said quietly.
Another flicker.
Stronger this time.
Inside—
The silence wasn't empty anymore.
It was distant.
Muted.
Like everything was behind glass.
But I could hear him.
Feel him.
Faintly.
And that pull—
It hurt.
Because it meant coming back.
To the noise.
To the chaos.
To everything I couldn't control.
"I know it's too much," Kai continued.
His thumb brushed lightly against my arm.
"But you don't have to carry it alone."
The words echoed.
And something inside me—
Cracked.
A breath hitched.
Sharp.
Sudden.
Air rushed back into my lungs like I'd been underwater too long.
My eyes snapped open.
Everything slammed back at once.
The bond—
Their emotions—
The connection—
All of it.
I gasped, gripping Kai's arm tightly.
"Stop—!"
But this time—
It didn't spiral.
It held.
Barely.
But it held.
Kai didn't pull away.
"I've got you."
Leo stepped closer immediately.
"Focus on one thing."
Evan added, "Anchor yourself."
I shook my head slightly.
"I can't—it's too loud—"
"Then pick one," Leo said firmly.
My breath shook.
One.
Just one.
I focused—
On Kai.
His presence.
His voice.
His steady grip.
The rest dulled slightly.
Not gone.
But quieter.
Manageable.
"I'm here," he said again.
And this time—
I believed it.
The bond pulsed.
Different now.
Not overwhelming.
Not out of control.
Just—
Held.
Carefully.
Evan watched closely.
"…She adapted."
Leo nodded slightly.
"Not fully."
Kai huffed quietly.
"But enough."
I swallowed hard, still gripping him.
"That… hurt."
"That was you breaking," Evan said calmly.
I glared at him slightly.
"Thanks. That helps."
Kai almost smiled.
Almost.
But it faded quickly.
Because deep down—
We all knew something.
That wasn't just a breakdown.
It was a warning.
And next time?
It wouldn't stop so easily.