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y/n sat on the edge of her bed, her hands folded tightly in her lap, staring at the radio perched on the small table beside her. she had been back in her tower for hours now, yet connor hadn't checked in once. the silence was unsettling. connor was always the one to keep up with communication, making sure she was alright, especially after her long walks between the towers. it had become their routine—a comforting, grounding part of her otherwise isolated existence out here.
she bit her lip, her eyes tracing the familiar lines of the device. connor never missed a morning or a night. even when she had been too tired to care about checking in, too worn out from the monotony of tower life, he always found a way to make contact. it made her feel less alone.
but now—nothing.
a pit had formed in her stomach, tightening with each passing moment of silence. 'maybe he's busy,' she told herself, though the thought didn't bring her any comfort. busy with what? they both knew their duties weren't exactly demanding, and even if something had come up, connor would have said something. he always did.
she stood, her legs feeling heavy as she crossed the small space to the radio, the stillness of her tower closing in on her. y/n sat down in front of it, her fingers hesitating above the switch before flipping it on. the crackle of static filled the air, but no voice followed. her heart rate picked up as she leaned forward, bringing her lips close to the microphone. "connor, are you there?" she asked, her voice calm despite the growing anxiety twisting inside her.
she waited. seconds passed, turning into minutes, and still, nothing.
the pit in her stomach deepened.
y/n leaned back, sighing in frustration, her mind racing with possibilities. what if something had happened to him? what if he was hurt, or worse? she pushed the thoughts away, shaking her head. no, she couldn't let herself go there. not yet. but the longer the silence stretched on, the harder it became to suppress the worry gnawing at her.
"okay, well..." she started again, her voice a little softer this time, "if you're there, can you talk to me soon? please?" again, only silence greeted her. the sound of her own breathing felt louder, the emptiness of the tower more suffocating than usual. she stared at the radio, hoping, willing it to come to life, to hear connor's familiar voice crackle through the static.
...nothing.
y/n's fingers fidgeted with the hem of her shirt as she bit down on her lip harder, her mind spinning with thoughts she didn't want to entertain. what if something had happened to him? she didn't want to feel paranoid, but this place—it got to you. being alone for so long, with only the radio as your lifeline, it made you overthink everything. and now, with that silence?
it was driving her crazy.
y/n shot up from her chair, the restless energy building inside her too much to contain. she began pacing, her steps softly thudding against the wooden floor of the tower. what was she supposed to do? go back to tower 12? she had just come from there, and it was a long, exhausting trek. but what if connor needed help? what if something had happened and she didn't go back in time? she pressed the heel of her palm against her forehead, trying to rub away the anxiety buzzing through her.
her eyes flicked back to the radio, still sitting there in eerie silence. what if—what if he got back on the radio while she was gone? she could miss him, and then she'd have walked all the way there for nothing. or worse, what if she went back to tower 12 only to find...she stopped, her breath catching in her throat. she didn't want to think about that. the thoughts creeping in— the ones about finding him hurt, or worse, just lying there alone— it was too much. she ran her hands through her hair, gripping it for a moment as she tried to pull herself together. y/n could feel the panic tightening in her chest, squeezing until it was hard to breathe.
"okay...okay," she whispered to herself, trying to slow her thoughts. she had to be rational. maybe it was nothing. maybe connor's radio was on the fritz, or maybe he just got sidetracked by something. he'd check in soon. he always did. but what if he didn't?
y/n groaned softly, the uncertainty eating at her. she didn't want to wait. waiting wasn't going to make her feel better. the pit in her stomach kept growing with every minute that passed, gnawing at her insides like a parasite. she needed to do something, to know something. she couldn't just sit here and stare at the radio, hoping for a voice that might never come. with a scoff of frustration, y/n made up her mind. "screw it," she muttered under her breath, pushing herself up from her chair once more. if she waited any longer, she was going to drive herself crazy. she couldn't sit still with all these thoughts running through her head.
she needed to check on him and that's exactly what she was going to do.
