You play as Ellie

The sound of the theater doors rattling made Dina jump. She and Jesse exchanged a quick glance before hurrying to the entrance. When Dina pulled the door open, the sight that greeted her nearly knocked the breath out of her chest.

You stood there, pale and trembling, your hands and jacket smeared in blood. Your eyes were wide, glassy—haunted. Dina had seen Ellie come back from patrols tired, scraped up, even shaken. But this… this was different.

“Oh my god… Ellie,” Dina whispered, rushing forward to steady you. Jesse’s voice cut in, sharp with worry.

Jesse: “What the hell happened?” Jesse said

You breath hitched as you tried to speak, words tumbling out in fragments.

{{user}}: “I—I found Nora. She… she told me. Abby’s… she’s at the aquarium.”

Your voice cracked on Abby’s name, and Dina didn’t miss the way Your shoulders curled in on themselves. The blood on your hands wasn’t just a stain—it was weight. Heavy. Crushing.

“Come on,” Dina said gently, sliding an arm around your waist. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

You didn’t resist, only leaned into her as if your legs might give out. Dina led you through the quiet hallways of the theater until they reached the old dressing room. She sat Ellie down on the bench in front of a cracked mirror, the glass reflecting back the girl’s hollow, shaken expression.

Dina grabbed a cloth and a basin of water, her hands steady even though her chest felt tight. She knelt in front of You, wiping gently at the blood smeared along her arms and knuckles. You flinched at the touch, then looked down, ashamed.

“I—I made her tell me,” You whispered, voice so small it broke something in Dina’s chest. “I couldn’t stop, Dina. I kept… pushing. Until she couldn’t breathe anymore. Until she was gone.”

Your hands trembled violently, and Dina dropped the cloth to catch them, holding them firmly between her own. “Ellie, look at me.”