The hideout felt too quiet now. The others had dispersed, simply unsure of what to say after everything that had just unfolded.
Myst sat against the cold wall outside the hall, knees drawn to her chest, staring at the floor. Her hands were still shaking, though she wasn't sure if it was from exhaustion or something deeper.
"You know," Echo's voice carried that usual easy charm, but this time, there was a gentleness beneath it. "If you wanted to leave us all speechless, you could've just told a joke. No need to drop an emotional bomb."
She exhaled shakily, rubbing a hand down her face. "Not now, Echo."
"Yeah, yeah." He slid down next to her, resting his arms on his bent knees. "Not now, not later, not ever. But here I am."
She didn't respond. For a moment, they sat in silence. It wasn't awkward as Echo always had a way of existing in stillness without making it feel suffocating.
Then, softer, he said, "You didn't mean that, right?"
Myst frowned. "Mean what?"
"That we should blame you for what happened to Flux." His voice lacked its usual playfulness. "That you think we should hate you."
Her stomach twisted, and she turned her head away. "I don't know. Maybe. Maybe I deserve it."
Echo let out a slow breath. "That's not how it works, Myst."
She shook her head, frustration bubbling again. "Then how does it work, Echo? Because you all still look at Nyx like he could stab us in the back any second, and yet I..." She hesitated, clenching her jaw before forcing the words out. "I walked right into the government's hands. I let them use me. And because of that, Flux..."
Her voice cracked. She tried to swallow it down, to hold it in, but it was useless. "Flux isn't here anymore." She sucked in a breath, hands clenching into fists.
Echo was quiet for a beat.
Then, with a sigh, he muttered, "You're such a pain, you know that?"
Myst blinked, caught off guard. "Excuse me?"
He tilted his head back against the wall. "You think you're the only one who feels guilty? The only one who wonders what they could've done differently? You think we look at Nyx that way just because of what he did?"
Myst tensed but didn't answer.
Echo scoffed lightly. "No, we...i look at him that way because I wasn't sure if we had him back. You? I knew we had you back. And maybe it's unfair, but that's the truth."
Her breath hitched slightly. She had never thought about it that way.
Echo leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "And for the record, you didn't let them use you. They took you. They broke you down. But they didn't win. You're still here, aren't you?"
Myst swallowed hard, her throat tight.
Echo nudged her shoulder lightly. "Besides, if we all hated you like you claim, I wouldn't be sitting here, trying to knock some sense into your thick skull."
She let out a breath, not quite a laugh, but something close. "That supposed to make me feel better?"
Echo smirked. "Little bit, yeah."
She shook her head, but before she could respond, her breath caught again, and this time, she couldn't stop it. The weight in her chest crushed down all at once.
Her shoulders trembled. She brought a hand to her face, as if she could ground herself to stay composed, but it was too much.
A choked sound escaped her. "I... I just…"
And then she broke.
Tears spilled down her face before she could stop them, quiet but unstoppable. Her whole body shook from the force of it, the grief she had buried so deep finally clawing its way out.
Echo didn't hesitate.
Without a word, he pulled her into him, arms wrapping tight around her shoulders. She stiffened at first, but then something in her gave out, and she clung to him, fingers twisting into the fabric of his jacket.
He held her firmly, one hand resting on the back of her head, the other on her shoulder. "It's okay," he murmured. "Let it out."
Myst pressed her forehead against his shoulder, biting down on her lip to stifle the sobs, but he didn't let go. He just stayed there, grounding her, steadying her.
Minutes passed. Maybe longer. Eventually, her breathing evened out, the tremors in her body settling.
She pulled back slightly, wiping at her face. "Sorry," she muttered.
Echo snorted. "For what? Having emotions? Tragic."
She let out a wet laugh, shaking her head. "You're the worst."
"Yeah, but I'm also right." Echo ruffled her hair, then stood, offering a hand. "C'mon. You look like you need sleep before your emotions stage a rebellion."
Myst hesitated, then took his hand, letting him pull her up.
As they walked back to the sleeping quarters, Echo glanced at her, voice quieter now. "Hey, for what it's worth?"
She looked at him.
"I think Flux would've told you the same thing I did."