Of course Doctor Follen would know that she wasn't being forthcoming. Even if she didn't wear her heart on her [i]face,[/i] he always seemed to figure it out. Sometimes it hurt, because he knew how to get to what she was trying to avoid. But there was a kind of happiness that came with unburdening herself to him, even if saying what it was made her feel awful. And...she really did have a lot to talk about. It was just hard.

"[color=ffe63d]W—well,[/color]" she began haltingly, nearly forcing herself to go past an almost inaudible murmur. She knew that Doctor Follen wouldn't blame her, just like Dahlia and Besca hadn't. And even though she'd told them, it was still burning a hole through her and she didn't quite know why.

"[color=ffe63d]When the swordsman Modir had the sword in the ground next to me, I—he—it—[/color]" She was stuttering now, struggling to get the words out. A part of her thought that he wouldn't believe her. That he'd call her crazy. She was half convinced that she [i]was.[/i]

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Doctor Follen would [i]never[/i] do that. He'd never hurt her so deeply, she knew with the utmost conviction. If there was anyone she could tell outside of her family, it was him. Another deep breath. And finally, the inevitable third.

"[color=ffe63d]...It s-spoke. To m—me.[/color]

"[color=ffe63d]And—and you can ask Besca too![/color]" She sounded almost frantic now. Despite everything, that feeling that he wouldn't believe her was still there. It still clung to her. And it just made it all that much more worse. "[color=ffe63d]it joined the comms! She heard it too! You have to believe me![/color]"

A moment passed. That sudden energy deserted her, and she pulled her legs up onto the chair, just like before. This would be the hard part. The really hard part. It was like picking at a scab. It wasn't that bad to start, but it would just hurt more and more, and once it was done it would bleed for who knows how much longer.

"[color=ffe63d]It...it knew my [i]name[/i], Doctor Follen. It called me by name.[/color]"

One final deep, deep breath. And then the scab came off.

"[color=ffe63d]It said it—it was h—hunting me. That it had found me there. And that...that it had...[/color]" Her voice dropped to a whisper in earnest, hoarse and grating though it was. [i]"[color=ffe63d]That it had found me in Runa.[/color]"[/i] She started shaking violently, more than usual, as the guilt tore back through her. "[color=ffe63d]...It was at...at Hovvi.[/color]" Her heart turned to lead in her chest and she squeezed her eye shut. Her voice steadily escalated, eventually building up to a pale imitation of a yell:

"[color=ffe63d]It's my fault, Doctor Follen. It's [i]all my fault.[/i] They all died because of [i]me.[/i] Just because I was [i]there! It's all my fault![/I][/color][i]"[/i]