0 0 1 ━ [ 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯 ]

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟺𝟽: 𝙶𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚜

The strong wind from the Mind Flayer's limbs whipped One's hair across her face, wrapping blonde tendrils around her eyes and making it difficult for her to see. Not that she needed her vision anyways, since she was still consumed in darkness. The only light came in the form of streaks of lightning that zig-zagged across the sky every couple of minutes, illuminating the menacing form of her monstrous friend.

"This isn't you, James!" One called up to the beast. Her voice had to fight to break through the powerful wind emanating from James' new form.

"You're right," James answered, but it didn't come from the Mind Flayer, it came from inside One's head. "This is better than I ever was."

"I used to love you," One said, but this time her voice was a faint whisper. She felt tears slipping down her cheeks as she realized that James had never actually been in Hawkins. Everything, from when she had rescued him to when they reunited, had been an illusion; a lie. He really had died all those years ago.

"I never stopped loving you," James responded once more inside One's mind.

This time James' voice was calmer and for a split second One thought she heard the boy she had befriended at the Lab all those years ago; the kid she had shared all her fears and aspirations with, the one she had laughed and cried and fought monsters with. But now he was a monster. And the voice she thought she heard was just a ghost whispering in her ear.

"We could be together forever, you know," James' voice filled in the gap after One's thoughts had ended. "Once you merge with this form, you'll be with me. You'll be more powerful than you could ever imagine. Don't you want that?"

"No!" One shouted in disgust, her nose scrunched and her eyebrows narrowed. "I would never want that!"

"Well, you will after time," James responded.

One of James' limbs stretched out over One and began to spiral down upon her, the wind sucking her hair up into its own blonde funnel. One leapt out of the way before the tentacle could slam down upon her and she landed on the rough pavement, letting out an injured moan. She felt the ground shake upon the limb's impact and watched the road crack and splinter in multiple directions.