The haze thickened again, pressing against her chest like a weight. Aiko blinked, and the warehouse dissolved. She was back in the dreamscape, standing in that endless red void. She wasn’t alone.

  Liam was there—slumped, his skin pale and his eyes unfocused. He looked like he was drowning without water, sinking deeper every second.

  “Liam!” Aiko ran to him, her sneakers pounding on nothing. She grabbed his shoulders, shaking him hard. “Hey! Look at me. Please.”

  For a moment, his head lolled, and she thought he was gone. Then his eyes flicked open, glassy but aware enough to focus on her. “Aiko… it’s too strong. He’s in my head.”

  She felt a cold spark of anger ignite in her chest. “Then we kick him out.”

  He gave a weak, humorless laugh. “You make it sound so easy.”

  “I don’t care if it’s easy. I’m not leaving you here.” Her voice cracked, but she held on tighter. Her golden threads flared to life, snaking down her arms and wrapping around Liam’s wrists like glowing vines.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The void shuddered. Malcolm’s voice poured out of the shadows, rich with false amusement.

  “Adorable. But he’s mine now, little one. Just like Ginger. Just like all the others.”

  “Shut up!” Aiko screamed, her voice ringing louder than she thought possible. She pressed her forehead to Liam’s. “Remember the orchard? You dared me to climb the fence, but you were too scared to go first. Remember that?”

  Liam blinked. His lips twitched, like he was chasing a memory.

  “You whistled when you were nervous,” Aiko said. Her threads pulsed brighter, feeding sparks into him. “That stupid, off-key whistle that made the horses run. You’re that Liam. Not whatever Malcolm wants you to be.”

  The void shivered. The red light cracked, splitting into jagged seams.

  Liam’s breath hitched. “I… I remember the fence.” His hand twitched, just enough to grip hers back.

  The golden light around her flared, and she felt his pulse quicken beneath her fingers. For the first time since she’d seen him in the yard, his eyes cleared—just a little.

  Malcolm’s laughter turned sharp, angry. “You can’t win against me. He’ll break again. They always do.”

  Aiko bared her teeth. “Not this time.”

  She pulled harder with her threads, pouring every scrap of strength she had into Liam. The void screamed, twisting and buckling. The red bled into gold, fighting for dominance.

  And then—just for a heartbeat—she wasn’t the only one weaving light. Liam’s hands sparked with faint, flickering threads of his own. Weak, clumsy, but there.

  Malcolm’s voice hissed, distant now. “Impossible…”

  Aiko smirked through her exhaustion. “Guess we’re full of surprises.”