Chapter Eighty Eight

Chapter 88

Jemima's scream reverberated through the house, shattering the fragile silence they had fought to maintain. The family sprang into motion, rushing toward her room as if propelled by the sheer force of her anguish. Marcus reached the door first, trying to kick it open but it was jammed.

"Who locked the door?" Marcus barked, to no one in particular as he struggled to open the door. Jay joined him, trying to open the door but it was locked from the inside.

"Jemma or Jemima probably locked it from the inside," Dimitri stated the obvious.

"No shit Sherlock!" Marcus groaned, anxiously combing his fingers through his hair. Everyone looked ahead frantically as another piercing scream from Jemima resonated through the house.

"You guys, do something!" Ava insisted, her body shaking with fear and concern, wondering what her sister might be going through.

"Move back!" Jay yelled, the little crowd dispersing as he tried kicking the door down with his foot but it was pointless. The door wouldn't budge. Marcus had used a very secure hinge on the door when he was building it.

"Let's do it together," Marcus said and they both went for the door, grunting in the process. They tried two more times before the door finally gave way, causing them to charge forward.

The scene inside sent a chill down Marcus's spine.

Jemima was thrashing violently on the bed, her face contorted in pain, her hands clawing at the sheets. Her eyes, wide and unseeing, darted around the room as though she were trapped in a nightmare she couldn't escape. Dr. Kaine was already at her side, her voice low and urgent as she tried to soothe her.

"Stay back," Kaine commanded sharply as the others crowded the doorway. "She's in a state of psychic distress. If we overwhelm her now, it could push her further into the fracture."

Marcus clenched his fists but obeyed, hovering just outside the threshold. "What's happening to her?"

"The fragments of her psyche are colliding," Kaine explained, her tone strained but steady. "The memories we unlocked have triggered a confrontation between Jemma and Jemima. If we don't stabilize her soon, it could break her mind entirely."

Elara pushed past Marcus, her medical kit in hand. "What do you need?" she asked Kaine, her voice calm despite the chaos.

"Prepare a sedative," Kaine replied. "But not too strong. We need to calm her without suppressing the process completely."

As Elara set to work, the rest of the family stood in tense silence, their eyes fixed on Jemima. Ava's hands trembled as she clutched Vanessa's arm, her face pale. Jay paced the hallway like a caged animal, his frustration and helplessness evident at every step.

"This is my fault," he muttered under his breath. "I should've—"

"Stop it," Marcus snapped, his voice cutting through Jay's self-recrimination. "This isn't about blame. It's about fixing this."

Jay stopped pacing, his jaw tightening. "And what if we can't?"

Marcus didn't answer, his gaze returning to Jemima. The unspoken fear hung heavy in the air.

Inside the room, Kaine injected the sedative into Jemima's arm, her movements precise. Slowly, Jemima's thrashing subsided, her breathing evening out. But her face remained tense, her lips moving as though she were speaking to someone unseen.

"She's still in the confrontation," Kaine murmured, more to herself than anyone else. "We'll need to guide her out of it carefully."

Elara glanced at Kaine, her brow furrowed. "Is there a way to help her from the outside? To give her some kind of anchor?"

Kaine nodded slowly. "Yes, but it's risky. If someone close to her can reach her, it might stabilize her. But if they fail, it could deepen the fracture."

"I'll do it," Ava said suddenly, stepping forward. Her voice was shaky but resolute.

Kaine hesitated. "Are you sure? This isn't something to take lightly."

"She's my sister," Ava replied, her eyes brimming with determination. "If there's even a chance I can help her, I have to try."

Kaine studied her for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Sit by her side and hold her hand. Speak to her—calmly, gently. Try to remind her of who she is."

Ava moved to the bed, her hands trembling as she took Jemima's in her own. "Jem," she said softly, her voice quivering. "It's me, Ava. I'm here. You're safe now."

Jemima's lips stopped moving, her face turning slightly toward Ava. Encouraged, Ava continued, her voice growing steadier. "You're not alone. We're all here for you. Just come back to us."

The tension in Jemima's body began to ease, her breathing slowing. But just as relief began to settle over the room, her eyes snapped open—and they weren't her own.

"Get away from me!" Jemma's voice snarled, her hand wrenching free from Ava's grip. The malevolence in her gaze sent a shiver down Ava's spine.

Marcus and Jay surged forward, but Kaine held up a hand. "No! If you intervene now, it'll only make things worse."

"Then what do we do?" Marcus demanded, his voice tight with anger and fear.

Kaine's eyes were fixed on Jemma. "We wait. And we hope that Jemima can fight her way back."

Inside her fractured mind, Jemima found herself in a dark, endless void. The air was heavy, and suffocating, and the only sound was the echo of her ragged breaths. She turned in circles, searching for something—anything—to anchor herself.

"Hello, Jemima," a voice purred, dripping with venom.

She whirled around to find Jemma standing a few feet away, her posture languid but her eyes burning with hostility.

"What is this?" Jemima demanded, her voice trembling. "Where are we?"

"This is our mind," Jemma replied, spreading her arms as if to encompass the void. "Our prison. And I've had enough of being locked away."

Jemima shook her head, her heart pounding. "You're not real. You're just a part of me—a part I didn't even know existed."

Jemma's lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, I'm very real, darling. And I'm done being your shadow."

Jemima took a step back, her instincts screaming at her to run. But there was nowhere to go. The void stretched endlessly in every direction.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jemma's smile widened, but there was no warmth in it. "I want control. I want freedom. And I want you to step aside."

Jemima clenched her fists, a surge of defiance rising within her. "No. This is my life. My family. You can't take that from me."

Jemma's expression darkened, her eyes narrowing. "We'll see about that."

Back in the real world, Jemima's body began to convulse again, her muscles straining against an invisible force. Ava's grip tightened on her hand, tears streaming down her face.

"Jem," she pleaded. "Please, come back to me. Don't let her win."

Dr. Kaine stepped closer, her voice low. "She's fighting. But we need to give her more support. Everyone—talk to her. Remind her of who she is."

The family exchanged hesitant glances before one by one, they began to speak.

"You're stronger than this, Jemima," Marcus said, his voice firm. "You've always been stronger than you realize."

"We're not giving up on you," Vanessa added, her tone resolute. "And we know you won't give up on us."

Jay stepped forward, his voice breaking. "I need you, Jem. More than I've ever needed anyone. Please, fight your way back."

Inside the void, Jemima felt their voices like distant echoes, faint but insistent. She turned toward the sound, her heart aching with longing.

"They're waiting for me," she said aloud, her gaze locking with Jemma's. "And I'm not going to let them down."

Jemma's expression twisted with fury. "You're weak. You can't survive without me."

"Maybe I'm not as strong as you," Jemima admitted, her voice steady despite the fear coursing through her. "But I'm not alone. And that's what makes me stronger."

With those words, a surge of light erupted from Jemima's chest, illuminating the void. Jemma recoiled, shielding her eyes as the light grew brighter, enveloping them both.

Jemima's eyes fluttered open, her gaze focusing on Ava's tear-streaked face. "Ava?" she whispered, her voice hoarse.

Ava let out a sob of relief, pulling her sister into a tight embrace. "You're back," she choked out. "You're back."

The room erupted in a collective sigh of relief, but the victory was tempered by exhaustion. Dr. Kaine stepped forward, her expression unreadable.

"This is just the beginning," she warned. "The fractures are still there. And Jemma isn't gone."

Marcus nodded, his jaw set. "Then we keep fighting. Together."

“What you’re fighting is not physical there’s no need to fight. Jemma is scared and she also needs your trust. Not everything has to do with force,” Dr. Kaine instructed, her voice stern as she stared at the entire family. They all bowed their heads, feeling somewhat guilty.

“So what do we do doctor,” Jay's voice was hoarse as he looked into her eyes.

“Start first by transferring Jemima to a proper psyche ward,” Dr. Kaine suggested, locking eyes with dr Elara who nodded her head in agreement.

Dr Elara cleared her throat and moved forward, “Just like I told you all, there is only so little that can be achieved with Jemima here but in a proper ward, she would be exposed to proper care with the latest facilities and equipment.”

Marcus’s jaw tightened as he gazed at the ceiling, he didn’t like the idea of Jemima being away from the family, especially in her vulnerable state.

His gaze shifted from Jemima was unconscious to Jay, to Ava to Vanessa, and then Dimitri. Their expressions were different but in a way they were pleading.

Pleading for him to heed to Dr Elara.

He sighed heavily, his expression grim as his gaze rested on dr Elaras's face, “Fine, when do we move her?”