I didn't stop walking until we were outside.
The cool air hit my face like a slap. Real. Sharp. Painfully normal.
Lena grabbed my arm. "You okay?"
I didn't answer right away.
My hands were shaking. My head felt like it was full of static again.
Ava looked between us. "Did they hurt you?"
"No," I said quietly. "Worse."
They waited.
"They made me think I wanted to stay."
Lena's grip tightened.
We started walking fast, away from the building, away from everything.
But even as we moved, something in my head clicked.
Like a door closing.
Or locking.
Then came the flash.
Not a warning. Not a memory.
Just a voice.
Soft. Calm.
Familiar.
"You'll come back."
I stopped walking.
Lena turned. "What is it?"
I couldn't speak for a second.
Then I whispered, "She's still in my head."
Ava frowned. "Dr. Reyes?"
I nodded slowly. "No. Not exactly. It's like… her voice is part of me now."
Lena cursed under her breath.
"We have to move," she said. "Now."
We started walking faster.
But no matter how far we went, I could still feel it.
That quiet certainty in the back of my mind.
"You'll come back."
And worse?
A small, terrifying part of me believed her.