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"Look at me."

He does. Not immediately. But eventually. Good.

"Don't focus on what it's showing you."

His breathing is uneven.

"What if I can't stop it?"

"You can."

"You don't know that."

I tighten my grip.

"Yes, I do."

The entity moves closer. Rhett charges again, forcing it back. The ground trembles. But it keeps reaching. Always reaching. For Sayer. For the child it believes belongs to it. A child who never belonged to anyone but himself.

"Sayer."

“You need to hear me."

His eyes fill with fear.

"I’m not sure what happened the night you were born."

The words come out before I can stop them.

"But I know what happened after."

The entity flickers. Listening. I continue.

"I was told you died."

Sayer's expression changes. Even after everything…

That still hurts. My voice shakes.

"I was told there was no future where you existed."

The Hollow grows colder.

"But they were wrong."

Sayer's breathing steadies.

"You're here."

I place both hands on his shoulders.

"You are not the child someone lost."

A tendril of darkness snakes toward us. Rhett intercepts it with a roar.

"You are not something this thing gets to claim."

The entity screams. The sound isn't loud. It's worse. It's inside my head. It shows me images. A hospital room. A newborn baby. A young version of myself crying. A choice. A moment. A memory buried beneath 15 years of impossible grief.