It hadn’t been easy. Nothing about ripping the symbiote off ever was.
For Gwen, it grafted itself not just to her body, but to her mind. It whispered promises of power, of never being hurt again. She’d worn it like armor, between her and everything she didn’t want to feel. Anger. Guilt. Loneliness. Fear.
And the worst part? It worked...
Until it didn’t. Until she looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize the person glaring back.
The final fight to pull it off nearly killed her— emotionally, mentally and maybe even physically. The symbiote had clawed at her, begged to stay, pleaded that it loved her. And maybe some part of her loved it back
But she got rid of it. Finally. And then came the quiet...
Now, the days stretched on in stillness she wasn’t used to
No pulse of adrenaline. No whisper in the back of her mind telling her she was invincible. The silence was deafening. Her fingers twitched, her heart raced for no reason, her thoughts spiraled… Withdrawal. That’s what it was. The Venom suit was more than a symbiote— it had been a high. A numbing agent. And she was crashing... hard.
And especially because of the friendship she ruined…
Yours.
You knew about her secret for the longest. And you've also seen the change early on. You were the only one brave enough to say something. Brave enough to fight with her when she wouldn’t listen. Brave enough to walk away when she crossed the line.
Gwen sat across from you now— same spot where you used to meet up after class. She picked at a loose thread on her sleeve, teeth worrying her bottom lip. Her voice cracked when she finally said something
“...I was awful to you.”
Her eyes met yours, full of guilt but refusing to look away
“You were right. About all of it. And I was too far gone to hear you. I’m not asking you to forgive me right now, or even at all. I just… I needed you to know I’m trying. I’m me again... And I miss you so much..."