Alright, let's begin," Fidelia said, and the doctor nodded.
"Please, come over here," he said gently, leading her to a larger, more comfortable chair. She lay back, and the hypnotherapy session began.
"I'm going to need you to relax. Now close your eyes if you're comfortable. Focus on your breathing. With each breath, your body should relax a little more. Now focus on the sound of my voice."
Fidelia's breathing began to slow.
"Good," the doctor continued softly. "Now, I want you to imagine a staircase in front of you. Walk toward it. Can you see it?"
"Yes… I see a staircase," Fidelia replied slowly.
"Good. Now, with each step you take, it should lead you deeper inside your mind. Climb until you reach the top. Are you there?"
"Yes," she murmured.
"Now, what do you see?"
"Everywhere is dark," Fidelia said quietly. "Everything is dark. I can see three doors… but they're quite far away. The more I move closer, the more they shift further."
The doctor's voice remained calm and steady. "Now call out to your alter. Reach out to Nyra."
Inside her mind, Fidelia took a deep breath.
"Hello, Nyra… are you there?"
She called again, but there was no response.
"Nyra, if you're there… let's talk."
A voice came from behind her. "Hello, Fidelia."
Fidelia turned sharply. From the darkness, a shadow stepped forward. As it moved into the dim light, its features became clear. The light brightened around them, revealing a girl—her exact reflection.
Nyra.
They were identical, yet so different. Nyra's aura was fierce, her stance confident. She wore the same black outfit from the night before—the one Fidelia had been found in. Her eyes gleamed dangerously, carrying both pain and defiance.
"Are you Nyra?" Fidelia asked cautiously.
"Yes, I am," Nyra replied, her voice steady but sharp. "I didn't think you'd come looking for us… not after you abandoned us all these years."
"Abandon you? What are you talking about exactly?"
"Exactly. She just verified my point," Nyra said coldly.
Fidelia stepped closer. "Look, I created you—Ice and Raven—as an imagination. As a big sister back then. But I was a child, and that was it." She tried to defend herself.
"So that's the excuse?" Nyra's voice hardened. "We—my sisters and I—shared the pain you couldn't bear. And now, you've locked us up right behind that door."
Fidelia turned to look. One of the three doors stood slightly open, the other two shut tight.
"Tell me," Nyra continued, "do you remember what happened when you were seven? The pain we had to go through? The suffering each one of us shared? You created us because you couldn't handle it. Because you couldn't face it. And now you're complaining that we're out?"
Fidelia's jaw tightened. Anger flickered, but confusion clouded her face. She tried to remember. To think back to when she was seven. But the harder she tried, the more her head throbbed.
"Look at that red door behind you," Nyra said. "Open it."
Fidelia turned again, her eyes falling on the red door—and instantly, she flinched. She covered her eyes as a sharp pain ripped through her chest. There was too much pain behind that door. Pain she knew she couldn't handle.
"That's what I thought," Nyra said softly, almost pitying. "You're still as fragile as ever. That's why you need me."
"No," Fidelia hissed. "I don't need you."
"I'm so sure of that," Nyra said, smirking. "Then open the door."
"I will," Fidelia said stubbornly and took a step forward.
She could feel her skin burning from the inside, pain crawling through her veins. Her head pounded. Somewhere far away, she could faintly hear the doctor's voice.
"Fidelia, are you okay? You need to control your breathing. Try to calm down."
But his voice was fading.
"I thought as much," Nyra whispered, stepping closer. "That's why you need me. And don't worry, sister… I'm going to get rid of those who hurt us."
Her tone grew darker. "Next time I'm out, I'll finish what I started with Bridget. That stupid guy who was with her too that shoved me away. Then the others. Definitely Alice—she doesn't deserve to be called our mother at all. Then Silas… and I definitely won't forget our father..Derek Crawford…that bastard"
'Derek? her stepfather' Fidelia was about to speak up and confront her not to do so but the last part really got to her.
"What does Derek have to do with all these?" Fidelia asked moving closer to Nyra with a curious expression.
"A whole lot…if you think Alice is worst then her husband Derek is the Devil himself. He is the beginning of our tragedy. He caused every fucking thing"
Hearing this part of the pain started slipping through Fidelia's head.
"Arrgh" she dug her fingers trying to massage her head, then she covered her eyes with her palm to stop the noises she was hearing.
"You are still not ready yet.." Nyra said and her voice was starting to fade. "My time is up…you coming here just woke up Iris"
Fidelia raised her head and saw the other door had been opened making two doors. Then she turned and saw herself walking down the staircase. She looked confused.
"Iris is going to kill us all if you don't wake Raven" that was Nyra last words before Fidelia's sight blacked out.
…..
Back at the doctors office.
"Fidelia, are you okay?" Dr. Thompson asked carefully, sensing something was off.
She didn't respond at first. Then her lips curved into the faintest smile.
"Well, well, well," she murmured softly. "You really shouldn't have done that, Doctor."
The doctor's heart skipped. "Fidelia?" he asked, taking a cautious step back.
Her gaze finally shifted to him. "No," she said calmly. "It's Iris."
"Iris?"
The doctor's eyes widened in shock. What he didn't want to happen… finally did.
It seems Fidelia couldn't handle the pain, he thought. So a new alter came out to absorb it. Is this a good thing… or a bad thing? He wasn't sure anymore.
"Where is Fidelia?" Dr. Thompson asked, his voice steady but careful as he moved toward his desk. He flipped open his notes the ones he had taken when Fidelia first mentioned Iris.
'Iris is the sad one, she liked being alone and enjoyed silence. I don't think she would cause trouble'
"Big sister is asleep now," Iris said softly. "She was in pain… so I had to help her absorb it."
She rose from the large chair, her movements eerily calm. She walked over to the table, picked up her bag.
'Just as I thought,' the doctor muttered under his breath.
"When will she wake up?" he asked.
"I… don't know," Iris replied, her tone distant and almost dreamy. "But I have to make this pain go away."
She turned toward the door, her hand brushing the handle.
Dr. Thompson felt the atmosphere had become really sad. "Iris," he called carefully, "what do you mean by that?"
Iris paused, half-turning her head. Her lips curled into a sad smile.
"…I'll make it go away," she whispered. "Forever."
And before he could stop her, she stepped out, leaving the office door slowly shutting it behind her.
The doctor stood frozen, staring at the door.
'What did she mean by that?...I hope it's not what I'm thinking'