STEP BROTHER DEAREST
“Madison, it’s okay. We’re here. Breathe—”
But it wasn’t okay. The panic that had been contained in the distortion began bleeding into reality. Small things first—a misstep while walking, a shadow flickering where it shouldn’t, a laugh turning jagged.
Stepbrother moved with precision, placing a hand on her shoulder, grounding her. “Correction: external influence persists. Stabilization required.”
But even his calm voice couldn’t erase the growing unease.
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I tried to anchor us, to rebuild the rhythm we had relied on in the distortion. I called for synchronization, pulling our movements together, holding the bond tight. For a moment, it worked. Madison’s shadows calmed, Ian’s laugh steadied