[COLOR=GRAY][CENTER][COLOR=8A9A5B][sup]_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/COLOR][url=https://open.spotify.com/track/5Za8bsHPb08SZXm0bvbDXy?si=488e9afd5637449d][img]https://i.imgur.com/defFT2x.jpeg[/img][/url][/CENTER][indent][sub][COLOR=8A9A5B][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR][I] Strigidae Dorms[/I] - [I]Pacific Royal Campus[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=8A9A5B][b]Take On Me #3.071:[/b][/COLOR][I] Crash[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][COLOR=8A9A5B][SUP][sub]___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sub][/SUP][/COLOR][indent][sub][color=8A9A5B][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR][I] N/A[/I][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=8A9A5B][b]Previously:[/b][/COLOR][COLOR=GRAY][I] Finding Haven [/I][/color][/right][/SUP][/indent][/color]

[indent][color=#808080]Harper trudged back to her dorm, her vision flickering erratically. The world around her transformed into a disorienting dance of vibrant hues and shadowy voids. The chaotic blend of heat signatures and sharp details created a surreal, almost nightmarish landscape. Each step felt like a monumental effort. Her thoroughly wet sneakers squelched on the carpeted floor, making her feel like a swamp monster stalking its prey in a horror movie. The adrenaline that had once surged through her veins was now a distant memory, replaced by a bone-deep weariness that gnawed at her resolve. She longed for the sanctuary of her room, where she could finally collapse and let the exhaustion consume her.[/color]

[color=#808080]However, she was afraid. Very afraid of what was happening to her.[/color]

[color=#808080]Harper had never experienced pain when using her ability before. Her enhanced vision had always been a reliable tool, a gift that set her apart and made her invaluable to her team. Now, it felt like a curse. The erratic flickering of her vision was accompanied by sharp, stabbing pains in her temples. Each flicker sent a jolt of agony through her skull. She was terrified to turn it off, fearing the unknown consequences. What if the pain didn’t stop? What if it got worse? She couldn’t even recall the last time she’d felt this out of control, or what she’d done to regain that control. Now, it was all slipping between her fingers, and she was helpless to stop it.[/color]

[color=#808080]Harper’s fingers shook as she finally managed to grasp the handle of her door. Her knuckles were white with the effort of turning it. Her breath came in shallow, ragged gasps as she pushed the door open and stumbled inside. Yet, the familiar surroundings of her dorm room offered little comfort. The posters on the walls, the neatly arranged books on her desk, all seemed to blur together in a haze of pain and fear. She leaned against the door for support, her legs threatening to give out beneath her.[/color]

[color=#808080]Taking a few shaky steps forward, Harper’s hand trailed along the wall to keep her balance. She needed to get to her bed, to lie down and try to make sense of what was happening to her. But each step was a struggle. Her body felt heavy and uncooperative. She finally reached the edge of her bed and collapsed onto it, her head pounding with every beat of her heart. The room spun around her, the familiar surroundings now a blur of colours and shapes. She closed her eyes, hoping that the darkness would bring some relief from the relentless pain and confusion.[/color]

[color=#808080]As she lay there, the sounds of the dorm filtered through her haze of pain. The distant hum of fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, a constant, low drone that seemed to amplify the throbbing in her temples. Footsteps echoed faintly in the hallway, accompanied by the occasional murmur of voices, muffled and indistinct. Somewhere down the hall, a door slammed shut, the sharp sound reverberating through her skull like a gunshot. The rhythmic ticking of her bedside clock was a relentless reminder of each passing second, each beat synchronized with the pounding in her head. Even the rustle of her own clothes as she shifted on the bed seemed unbearably loud, a cacophony of noise in her hypersensitive state.[/color]

[color=#808080]Harper knew she had to turn off her ability, but the thought of doing so filled her with dread. The pain was already unbearable, and the idea of intensifying it felt like willingly stepping into a fire. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but her hands trembled uncontrollably. The room seemed to close in around her, the walls pressing in as if they were alive. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears, a relentless drumbeat that matched the throbbing in her temples. The air felt thick and heavy, each breath a struggle against the weight of her fear.  But it was now or never. And never wasn’t really much of an option. [/color]

[color=#808080]Summoning every ounce of courage, Harper kept her eyes shut, focusing on the familiar process of shutting down. The world around her faded into darkness, and for a fleeting moment, she felt a flicker of relief. But then the pain surged, a searing wave that threatened to overwhelm her, crashing through her like a relentless storm. She bit down on her lip, tasting the metallic tang of blood, as she fought to stay conscious. The darkness, which was supposed to bring solace, instead enveloped her in a new kind of torment. [/color]

[color=#808080]It felt like peeling her eyes back layer by layer, each one more excruciating than the last. The pain was searing, a white-hot agony that made her cry out. She clutched her head, tears streaming down her face as she fought to complete the process. All the while, various images flashed through her mind: her hovering the scalpel near the clone’s face, her holding Aurora as she cried into her shoulders, her hugging Haven in her room, not wanting to let go but unable to say more. Her hand brushing the window sill, feeling her heart drop into her stomach upon finding a golden strand of hair there. Haven, safe and sound, clutching onto Rory as if her life depended on it. Jim informing them of Lorcán’s condition, of his impending death. Of yet another loss she’d been powerless to stop. [/color]

[color=#808080]And then, finally, her looking up at her father with stars in her eyes, the words [/color][color=#8a9a5b][i]“Hey, it’s just like mine! That’s how you know it’s meant to be!”[/i] [/color][color=#808080]tumbling out of her mouth. [/color]

[color=#808080]Her vision continued to flicker behind her eyelids, the vibrant hues and shadowy voids giving way to a blinding whiteness that consumed her entire field of view. It felt as though she was being torn apart from the inside, the pain radiating through her entire body in relentless waves. She gasped for breath, her chest heaving with each desperate inhale as she struggled to maintain consciousness. The familiar sounds of the dorm faded into the background, replaced by a deafening roar in her ears, drowning out everything else. Her surroundings blurred, the once comforting space now a distant memory as she fought against the overwhelming agony. Each heartbeat sent a fresh surge of pain through her. All she could do was beg for it to be over and done with already.[/color]

[color=#808080]And then it was. With one last, agonizing effort, Harper felt the world around her dim. The pain in her head reached a crescendo before slowly beginning to subside. She lay there, panting and trembling, her body drenched in sweat. The tank top beneath her hoodie clung uncomfortably to her skin. The relief was fleeting, the pain still a dull throbbing in her temples, but it was enough to allow her a moment of respite. [/color]

[color=#808080]Her breath slowly steadied, and she dared to open her eyes, the world around her a blank canvas, an endless expanse of darkness that offered no comfort or familiarity. [/color][/indent]