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AFTER PUTTING THE LAST ATTACKER down, Sam’s hyper focus on the moment relaxed and he became aware that Julia was in the midst of an extreme panic attack. When Sam had integrated fully, Julia had been pushed to the background. It was the realization of her worst fear when initially contemplating allowing Sam in. She was suspended in complete darkness, huddled on the floor in a corner of her own mind from which the only light was a pinprick emanating from the end of an impossibly long corridor. Terrible memories circulated from her childhood when she had tried to retreat to a similar mental safe place during horrific events in which she was powerless.
Sam immediately retreated as much as possible from possession of Julia’s mind and body, jolting her out of her darkness, putting her back
