~~BEYOND THE BINARY~~

Chapter- 7

Unspoken Error

[ Selene 🌓 ] 8:42 PM
where r u?? u said u were coming like 10 min ago??

[ Selene 🌓 ] 8:55 PM
Iris?? u good???

[ Selene 🌓 ] 9:06 PM
ok im actually gonna fight u where the hell are u—

A knock.

Soft. Hesitant.

Selene frowned.

Iris never knocked.

For a second, she thought maybe she'd imagined it. But then—it came again. A quiet, almost reluctant tap against the wood.

Selene's fingers tightened around her phone as she stood. Something about it felt... off.

She pulled the door open, the start of a teasing remark on her tongue—

And then she saw her.

Iris stood in the dim hallway, clutching the sleeves of her hoodie with white-knuckled fingers. Her hair was slightly damp, sticking to her forehead like she'd been sweating. Her breathing was uneven, her pupils blown wide, her whole frame unnervingly still—except for her hands, which were shaking.

Selene's stomach knotted.

"Iris?"

Nothing. Just a slight twitch of her fingers.

Then—

"Can I come in?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper. Small. Hollow.

Selene didn't even think. She just stepped aside, grabbing her wrist gently to pull her in. The moment she did, Iris flinched.

Not a big movement. Barely noticeable. But Selene noticed.

The door shut with a soft click. Silence settled around them, thick and heavy.

Iris stood in the middle of the room, unmoving. Like she didn't know what to do with herself. Like if she let go of her sleeves, she'd fall apart.

Selene took a slow breath. Something's wrong. Something's really, really wrong.

"Hey... you okay?" she tried, careful to keep her voice steady.

Iris gave the smallest nod. Too quick. Too automatic.

Selene sighed. Liar.

"Okay, well, you look like you're about to collapse, so—"

Iris swayed.

Selene reacted instantly, catching her before she could stumble. Holy shit. She could feel how tense she was, muscles locked so tight she might as well have been vibrating. Her skin was cold, but the way her breath hitched against Selene's shoulder told her it wasn't from the temperature.

It was from fear.

"Come here."

She guided her towards the bed, her grip firm but gentle. Iris let herself be pulled down onto the mattress, knees drawn up, shoulders hunched.

Selene sat beside her, watching carefully.

The way Iris's hands wouldn't stop shaking.
The way her breath came in uneven starts and stops.
The way her gaze darted, never landing on anything for too long, like she was expecting something—someone—to be there.

Selene recognized it now.

A panic attack.

"Iris." She said her name softly, placing a careful hand on her back. She felt the way Iris tensed at first—then, slowly, just barely, relaxed under her touch.

"You're okay," Selene murmured. "You're safe."

No response.

Selene kept her voice gentle, steady. "I need you to breathe with me, alright? In for four, hold, out for four. Just listen to my voice."

For a moment, she thought Iris wouldn't do it.

Then, shakily, she sucked in a breath.

Selene guided her through it. Slow, controlled. She kept her hand on Iris's back, rubbing soft, grounding circles. Kept whispering reassurances.

And—little by little—the trembling eased. The breaths slowed.

Iris didn't say anything. But after a while, she leaned against Selene, like she'd finally let herself rest.

Selene stayed still, waiting, letting her be.

Then—barely above a whisper—

"It's wrong."

Selene's heart stuttered.

"What?" she asked, voice soft, careful.

Iris's fingers tightened around the fabric of her hoodie.

"It's... wrong. Something's wrong."

A cold chill prickled down Selene's spine.

"What's wrong?"

Iris didn't answer. Just closed her eyes, her grip loosening. Selene waited for more, but the next breath she let out was slow, even.

Asleep.

Selene swallowed hard, eyes lingering on her.

The panic attack. The knocking. The way she'd looked standing there in the dim hallway, pale and shaking like she'd seen something she couldn't explain.

Her stomach twisted.

Something was wrong.

She carefully reached for her phone, keeping her movements slow so she wouldn't wake Iris.

[ Selene 🌓 ] 9:42 PM
guys. something's wrong. come over now!!

She hit send.

Then, without letting go of Iris, she waited.