AN: Content note: This chapter contains themes of grief, trauma, and self-harm ideation.
Theo is running downstairs. He does not even bother with the elevator. He takes the emergency stairs and flies down six floors, feet barely touching the steps as he descends.
Maeve is struggling to follow.
Something or someone is screaming for help.
And he hears it.
The moment the scream reaches him, he knows.
It is Alicia.
There is no doubt in his mind.
He promised Alex that he would help his little sister.
And Theo intends to keep that promise.
The scream he heard was not just a scream. It was a scream from the soul. The kind of scream that erupts when someone reaches the end of their road.
A scream that comes right before someone hurts themselves.
He reaches the ground floor and rushes toward the entrance. The commotion grows louder with every step.
People are shouting.
Voices overlapping.
The sounds of fighting become clearer and clearer as he gets closer.
