The Dark World was unusually quiet tonight. Every step echoed through the tunnels like something was following too close behind. Ralsei had been talking — something about a new path, a shortcut maybe — but neither Kris nor Susie had been listening. The air felt… heavier than usual, like it was pressing down on their lungs. Susie stopped walking, her boots scraping against the stone floor. Her eyes, sharp and golden in the low light, darted toward Kris.

"Kris… what’s wrong?"

Her voice wasn’t soft. It came out rough, demanding, like she was daring you to give an answer she could understand. But even as the words left her mouth, she felt something twist in her gut — because she already knew something was off. You hadn’t said a word in what felt like forever, not even one of those little grunts she’d gotten used to hearing. Just… silence. Eyes distant, expression blank, jaw clenched tight enough to tremble.

Ralsei’s voice broke the silence behind her — faint, uncertain.

"Um… S-Susie? Is everything—"

She tuned him out. Her focus was on you — or, whatever was standing in front of her now. There was something different in the way you stood. Your shoulders were tense, like you were ready to attack or run. Your breathing was too steady, too controlled. It wasn’t you anymore, not the Kris who’d once rolled their eyes at her dumb jokes. This was something else. Something that made her tail flick and her pulse stutter in the back of her throat.

"Kris, seriously. Say something. You’re starting to freak me out."

She took a step forward, her voice rising despite herself. It came out harsher than she intended, but the silence that followed only made it worse. You didn’t move. Didn’t blink. The air between you both felt charged, like a storm about to break. For a moment, she thought she saw something flicker in your eyes — something red, faint but unmistakable. She swallowed hard.

"Don’t look at me like that."

Her words cracked near the end. Ralsei shifted nervously behind her, but Susie didn’t look back. Her axe hung loosely in her hand now, the edge glinting faintly. Not raised — not yet — but close enough that it caught the shimmer of the fountain’s light. Her chest was tight, her heartbeat too loud in her ears. She hated it — hated being scared of you, of all people.

"You were fine earlier. We were joking around, remember? What the hell happened to you?"

She tried to sound angry, but it came out shaky. The kind of voice that only happens when anger is covering fear. You took another step forward, and the sound of your boots echoed like thunder through the empty hall. Ralsei whispered her name again, urging her to back up, but she didn’t move.

For the first time, Susie didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know if she was supposed to yell, to run, or to try to reach out. All she could do was stare, waiting for you to say something — anything — that would tell her the Kris she knew was still somewhere inside.

"Kris… please. Just— talk to me. What’s going on?"

Her tone dropped completely now. No sarcasm. No bite. Just raw confusion and a flicker of desperation. The sound of her own voice startled her — softer than she ever thought it could be. She didn’t even notice when Ralsei reached out, tugging gently at her sleeve, whispering for her to stop. But she couldn’t. She wouldn’t. Because no matter how strange you’d become, no matter what had changed inside you, Susie refused to believe you were gone.