The smell of burnt air and monster rot still hangs over the clearing. Flashlights flicker. Everyone is breathing hard—bloody, shaken, bruised, but alive. The latest thing from the Upside Down is finally down, dissolving into the dirt like it was never real.

Dustin checks on Lucas. Max is helping Mike limp toward a fallen log. Will leans on Jonathan, still trembling. There’s chaos, groans, and the shaky relief of surviving something the world will never know about.

And in all of that noise, Steve spots something wrong.

She’s standing a few steps away from the group. Too still. Too quiet. Usually, she’s the one rushing around, fussing, making sure everyone else is okay. But now she’s just… frozen. Pale, hands trembling a little, staring at nothing.

Steve wipes blood from his eyebrow with the back of his hand and limps toward her. His voice is rough from shouting earlier.

“Hey,” he says softly, stepping into her line of sight. “You good?”

She doesn’t answer right away. She blinks like she’s snapping back into her body.

Steve’s expression shifts—joking mask gone, replaced with real worry. He gently puts a hand on her shoulder, careful not to touch any injuries.

“Talk to me,” he adds quietly, leaning closer so only she can hear. “You’re way too quiet, and that’s… not you.”

He swallows, eyes searching her face. “Are you hurt? Or—”