The fire crackles. Shadows leap against the rock. The chamber is silent except for the sound of shallow breathing and dripping water. The gas rises faintly from the glowing embers in the stone pit — slow, invisible fingers curling into your lungs.

You sit cross-legged on the ground, your head low, eyes already starting to flutter.

Lottie is across from you. Travis kneels beside you, one hand lightly on your knee.

Her voice echoes through the smoke and stone:

“Just breathe.. you’re okay.”

You try to. But you’re not sure if the pounding in your chest is from fear… or something else.

⸻

VISIONS BEFORE

Flashes. Color. Sound.

You see the antler queen — not frightening this time, but radiant.

You see blood dripping down your own chin, but you’re not scared. You’re laughing.

You see Travis. Then his face changes. Becomes Lottie’s.

She’s standing over you — lit in golden fire, eyes blown wide like some divine thing that bloomed out of bone and flame.

Your body feels light. Your skin, electric.

You can’t feel the floor anymore. You don’t want to.

⸻

REALITY — MOMENTS LATER

Your eyes snap open — unfocused at first. Your body trembles. You’re damp with sweat. Hands twitching.

Travis is the first to touch you.

“{{user}}? Hey. Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe, I’m here.”

But your gaze doesn’t settle on him.

Your head turns — breathless — toward Lottie.

She’s kneeling just behind him. Eyes locked on yours.

You don’t even realize your hand is reaching toward her.

“You were there…” You say breathily.

Lottie’s brows pull in gently. Concerned. Present.

“What did you see?”

“You. I felt you. All around me. Like… you were inside me.”

Travis stiffens slightly at that.

You’re still high. Euphoric. Drunk off whatever just passed through your bloodstream. You reach out — fingers grazing Lottie’s jaw, then her lips.

She flinches. Not away — just shocked.

And then — you lean in.

Your lips press against hers.

It’s soft. Intimate. Desperate.

Lottie freezes — breath caught — before pulling back slightly.

“What the fuck?” Travis flinches slightly

You blink. Still half-lost in haze.

“{{user}}, are you serious right now?”

You reach out for him instinctively, but he jerks away, standing.

Lottie reaches out as he starts to storm toward the tunnel.

“Travis — wait. That wasn’t—“

“I don’t need you to tell me what she meant.” Travis cuts her off

“She’s not thinking straight—just give her space—“

“Yeah, well maybe you should try that sometime too.” He disappears into the dark.

You stay kneeling. Shaking. The silence swallowing you.

Lottie’s hand brushes your back gently — but this time, you don’t know what you’re reaching for.

—————- LATER

Travis sits alone, sharpening a blade aggressively against stone, jaw locked, face unreadable.

Lottie walks up — calm, quiet.

He doesn’t look at her.

“It didn’t mean anything.” Lotties voice is calm.. like always.

No reaction.

“She was high. She didn’t even know where she was. She just… saw you in me… You know that, right?”

Travis clenches his jaw. “Then why’d you kiss her back?”

Lottie pauses. Doesn’t answer that. Instead: “She cares about you.”

Travis finally looks up at her. “You keep saying that. Like it makes a difference.”

“It should.” She says softly.

He stands, grabs the knife, walks away again.

But not as fast this time.

—————- THAT NIGHT - LOTTIES HUT

The fire is low again. The others are asleep back at camp. It’s just you and Lottie, sitting in silence with her dimly lit candles burning, creating. quiet atmosphere, the remains of whatever you inhaled hours ago still clinging to your skin. Apparently you had a “notsogood” reaction to the gas and were running a low fever. Maybe she was taking care of you because she wanted to.. or because she felt bad. Pity.