Nathan, Sera, Nira, and Jace follow Joy as he leads them through the halls in search of the other emotions.
Joy hums softly as he walks, almost forgetting he has people behind him.
Nathan speeds up to match his pace.
"Hey," he says. "I just wanted to ask… what happened in there? After we left."
Joy stops humming. He glances at Nathan, then looks forward again.
"Well, after you left with Nira, Grief was the first to go. While he was glitching, he started crying at some point. The sound slowly faded until his face disappeared. I wanted to help, but— you know. I couldn't."
Jace and Nira, who had been discussing their own theories, fall silent.
Sera listens too, intrigued—and unsettled.
Joy pauses.
"Then what happened?" Nathan asks.
"Love eventually got up and tried to console him," Joy says. "But that didn't end so well."
"What happened?" Sera asks.
"Grief became even more unstable and released another energy wave. It blasted Love away. After that, Love's glitching got much worse."
Joy pauses again.
"Come on," Jace says as they turn another corner. "That can't be all. What happened after that?"
"Guilt finally got up," Joy continues. "He was in bad shape too. He was saying something, but I couldn't make everything out. The only thing I heard was 'Nathan.' Then he started walking toward the door."
"Is that all?" Nira asks, her voice heavy.
"No. As Guilt left the room, Love started to regain consciousness again, but—"
"But what?" Nathan asks.
Joy hesitates.
"Just spit it out already," Sera says, frustrated.
"He was changing," Joy says quietly. "Into someone very familiar."
"Who?" Nathan asks—but a sudden thought sends chills down his spine, and he pushes it away.
"Is there anything else?" Sera asks.
"Yes. Love went after Guilt. When Grief noticed they were leaving, he followed them."
Jace frowns. "Hold on. What were you doing while all this was happening?"
"Well— I was lying there, watching them try to fix the situation. After they left, I got up and followed them. I told them to come back because you said you'd be returning soon, but they didn't respond. They just kept going. So… I left them and kept circling the halls until you came back."
The group falls silent.
"Wait, wait, wait," Nathan says. "I thought you said you knew where they were."
"Oh, did I?" Joy says playfully. "I wanted to be helpful." He avoids eye contact.
"You can't be serious," Jace snaps. "So where exactly are you taking us?"
"Ummmm…" Joy says, still looking away.
"I'm a professional. I'm a professional," Sera mutters under her breath.
"What do we do now?" Nira asks.
Suddenly, Nathan feels something—close, unsettling. He can't explain it.
The tablet beeps.
Sera checks it, her expression shifting to shock. "We found one. It's close."
Nira leans over. "Where?"
"Over there," Sera says. "Hall to the left."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Jace says, sprinting off.
"See? I knew we'd find one of the—"
"Shut it," Sera snaps, grabbing Joy's hand as they run after Jace.
They reach the hall. Jace is already peeking from behind the wall.
"What are you—"
"Shhhhh," Jace cuts Sera off. "It's over there."
They look.
It's Guilt.
He walks slowly down the hall, glitching frequently. His lips move, but the words are unintelligible.
"Alright," Jace whispers. "Let's sneak up and link him to Nathan."
"That won't work," Sera says. "He has to be standing still."
"Then I'll hold him," Jace says—and runs.
"Jace, no!" Sera calls.
They chase after him.
Guilt hears footsteps and turns sharply.
"What— Nathan?"
"Gotcha!" Jace says, grabbing him. "Do it now!"
"Let go of me," Guilt says as his instability spikes.
Suddenly, Jace feels unbearably heavy—like something invisible is pressing him into the floor. He releases Guilt and collapses.
"Jace!" Nathan yells.
"Oh no— Jace!" Nira rushes forward, but as she gets closer, the air grows heavier. Each step becomes harder. Before she reaches him, she collapses beside him.
Nathan and Sera stop short.
"That… doesn't seem normal," Joy says, glancing at the two of them.
"You think?" Sera replies.
"Guilt, please," Nathan says carefully. "We're trying to help you. Just relax and walk toward us slowly."
Guilt takes a deep breath. His glitching lessens as he steps forward.
Then he stops.
"You can't help me yet," he says. "What about the others?"
His instability surges again.
"We'll help you first, then—"
"No," Guilt interrupts. "We won't be fixed if only I'm helped. We need everyone."
"If we stabilize you, it'll make helping the others easier," Sera argues.
"That may be true," Guilt says, stepping back, his form barely holding together. "But I won't be fixed alone."
"I'm sorry," he says—then runs.
"No, wait!" Nathan shouts.
He doesn't stop.
"We have to stabilize him now," Sera says.
"Or else—"
"Got it," Nathan replies.
"I'll stay with them," Sera adds. "Take the tablet. If you find him, stabilize him immediately."
Nathan nods and takes off.
He reaches a split in the hall and hesitates. Then he notices flickering lights to the left and follows them.
As he turns the corner, he freezes.
Guilt lies on the floor—still, calm, wrong.
"Hey… Guilt?" Nathan says, kneeling beside him. "Are you okay?"
Guilt opens his eyes but doesn't respond.
He doesn't move. His expression is blank.
"Maybe I was too late," Nathan thinks.
Then he notices how pale he looks.
"That's… odd," Nathan murmurs.
"Maybe if I stabilize him now…" he says, activating the tablet.
The neurocrown hums. Buzzes.
Then—beep.
A red light flashes.
"No, no, no…" Nathan mutters, checking the tablet.
No emotional frequency detected.
Nathan stares, shocked.
"Don't worry," he says softly, lifting Guilt.
"We'll fix this."