𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 - 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘱𝘯

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘟𝘟𝘝𝘐𝘐𝘐

𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐂

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓
___________

"Are you not hungry?" Rebecca asks, her voice tinged with concern as she gazes at you, her eyes searching for any sign of acknowledgement. But you continue to stare blankly into the fire, lost in your thoughts, oblivious to the world around you.

"You really should try to eat something, your body needs the sustenance to heal." Rebecca presses on, her words dripping with empathy, but you remain unresponsive, trapped in your own private hell.

The others can't help but exchange worried glances, their eyes darting back and forth between you and each other, silently willing you to snap out of this fugue state.

It's like you're a shadow of your former self, barely eating enough to sustain yourself, speaking only in hushed whispers when absolutely necessary, and cutting out sleeping completely.

Ever since they found you curled up at the base of Salvus's spike, wracked with uncontrollable sobs, you've been stuck in this emotional state, unable to break free. It's as if the horrors of that day have left an indelible mark on your psyche, rendering you a fragile, vulnerable version of yourself.

"Can you please, for the love of god, say something? Anything?" Jess begs, her voice rising in desperation. "We get that you're depressed, but we've been stuck in this for almost a month now! Your silence is suffocating us, too."

She takes a step closer, her eyes searching yours for a glimmer of emotion. "We're not asking for a miracle, just a sign that you're still with us. A nod, a whisper, anything to show us you're not lost forever."

Steven rushes to intervene, his voice firm but tempered. "Jess, that's enough."

Jess's tears spill over, her face contorted in anguish. "Please, Y/n, snap out of it! We don't know what to do and we need you!"

She places her hands on your shoulders, but the gentle touch only serves to intensify the throbbing pain in your ribs. You wince and instinctively shove her away. "What do you want from me?" you snap, your voice laced with frustration and a hint of bitterness.

"Do you think I'm some kind of emotional support for you to lean on? That I'll magically make you feel better about yourself?" Your scoff.

"You're always so caught up in your own problems, you never stop to think about what I might be going through. I'm not your personal therapist, nor do I have the emotional capacity to coddle your fragile ego." Your words hang in the air like a challenge, as you glare at her, daring her to dispute your assertions.

"How can you say that?" Jess fires back, her voice rising. "I'm just trying to help you, and you lash out at me like I'm the enemy. You're the one who's always pushing people away, and then you wonder why you're alone."

"Oh, so now it's my fault?" you retort, sarcasm dripping from your words. "Newsflash, Jess. I don't need your help. I just need you to leave me the hell alone."

"Fine, have it your way."  Jess spits out, her eyes blazing with anger. "But don't come crying to me when you're drowning in your own misery. You're the one who's pushing everyone away, including me. See if I care." With that, she storms out of the room, leaving the room.

"Y/n, you've said too much." Rebecca mutters, her voice laced with concern. "You didn't mean that, did you?" She takes a step closer, her eyes searching yours for answers. "I know you're hurting, but lashing out at us won't make it better."

You take in her words, slowly shaking your head in recognition. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. It's just..." your voice trails off.

Steven steps in. "We get it, Y/n. We know you're going through a tough time. You're carrying a heavier load than the rest of us, but we want to help you."