The next morning, Holo entered Trixie's cell with trepidation. After what had happened the day before, he wasn't sure how she would react to seeing him. Her attack on the guards had been a vivid display of just how dangerous she could be, and though part of him wanted to keep his distance, he couldn't help but feel a growing sense of responsibility for her. She wasn't just an experiment or a subject to him anymore—she was someone who needed help, someone who had been failed by others time and time again.
Trixie sat against the far wall, her legs crossed and her head tilted back as she stared at the ceiling. She seemed calmer than the day before, her usual energy subdued. But when Holo stepped inside, her eyes immediately locked onto him, and her expression brightened ever so slightly.
"Hey," he said softly, sitting down across from her. "How are you feeling?"
She shrugged, avoiding his gaze. "Better, I guess. They gave me a lecture about 'appropriate behavior,' but I wasn't really listening."
Holo chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, about that… Why did you attack the guards yesterday? You could've really hurt someone."
Trixie's expression darkened, and for a moment, she didn't respond. Then she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I don't like people taking things away from me," she said quietly. "Especially things I care about."
Holo's chest tightened at her words. "You care about me?"
Trixie's eyes darted to his, and for once, there was no sarcasm or teasing in her gaze. "Maybe," she admitted. "You're the only one who doesn't treat me like I'm some kind of monster. That means something to me."
Holo swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond. He hadn't realized just how much his presence meant to her—or how deeply it affected her. "I'm not going anywhere, Trixie," he said gently. "You don't have to attack anyone to keep me here."
She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "You don't get it, do you? It's not just about yesterday. It's about everything."
"What do you mean?" Holo asked, his voice soft.
Trixie hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her jacket. Then she let out a deep breath and looked him in the eye. "You want to know why I'm here? Why I'm like this?"
Holo nodded, his curiosity piqued. "Only if you're comfortable telling me."
She leaned back against the wall, her gaze distant as she began to speak. "I wasn't always like this. When I was a kid, I was… different. Stronger, faster, tougher than everyone else. I could lift things other kids couldn't, outrun adults, and bounce back from things that would've put anyone else in the hospital. At first, I thought it was cool. I thought I was special. But my parents didn't see it that way."
She paused, her jaw tightening as old memories resurfaced. "They thought I was a freak. They hated how wild I was, how I couldn't sit still or follow their stupid rules. I just wanted their validation, you know? I just wanted them to say they were proud of me."
Holo listened intently, his heart aching at the pain in her voice. "What happened?"
Trixie laughed humorlessly. "One day, they decided they'd had enough. They took me to the forest—said we were going on a family picnic. It was fun at first. We played games, ate food, and I thought… I thought maybe things were getting better. But then they told me they had to go get something from the car and that I should wait there for them."
She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "So I waited. And waited. Hours turned into a day, and I started to realize they weren't coming back. But I stayed. I thought maybe they got lost or something. Days turned into weeks, and I survived by eating whatever I could find—berries, bugs, anything."
Holo's stomach twisted as he imagined her as a little girl, abandoned and left to fend for herself. "How long were you out there?"
"Two months," Trixie said, her voice tight. "After two months, I finally gave up. I went back home, thinking maybe something had happened to them and they couldn't come back for me. But when I got there…" She trailed off, her eyes glinting with a mix of anger and sadness. "They had a new kid. Some perfect little angel they'd adopted to replace me."
Holo's eyes widened in shock. "What did you do?"
Trixie's lips curled into a bitter smile. "I broke in. I begged them to take me back, to tell me why they left me. But they wouldn't even look at me. They told me to leave, said I wasn't their daughter anymore. I… I snapped. I attacked them. I didn't even mean to, but I couldn't stop myself. The next thing I knew, I was here."
Silence filled the room as Trixie finished her story, her shoulders slumping as if a great weight had been lifted off them. "So, yeah," she said, her voice tinged with sarcasm. "That's my tragic backstory. Sorry for dumping all that on you."
"Trixie…" Holo said softly, his voice filled with sympathy. "You've been through so much."
She shrugged, trying to play it off, but he could see the vulnerability in her eyes. "It is what it is."
"You don't have to apologize," he said firmly. "You can always confide in me. I'm here for you."
Trixie's eyes widened slightly, her usual bravado faltering. "You… mean that?"
"Of course," Holo said, offering her a reassuring smile. "No one should have to go through what you did. And if talking to me helps, then I'll listen as much as you need."
For a moment, Trixie didn't say anything. Then she smiled—a real, genuine smile that made her look almost peaceful. "You're weird," she said softly. "But… thanks."
Holo nodded, standing up as the guards came to escort him out. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Yeah," Trixie said, her voice uncharacteristically quiet. "See you tomorrow."
As Holo left, Trixie watched him go, her heart pounding in her chest. She placed a hand over her heart, frowning as she felt its rapid rhythm. Why was she feeling like this? Why did her chest feel tight every time he smiled at her? She tried to shake off the strange sensation, but it only grew stronger.
Her pupils began to dilate, and for a moment, she saw hearts reflected in her eyes. A yandere smile spread across her face, and she giggled softly to herself. "Holo…" she murmured, her voice tinged with obsession. "You're mine now. I won't let anyone take you away from me. Not ever."
The guards outside her cell glanced at each other uneasily as they heard her laughter echoing through the room. They didn't know what she was thinking, but one thing was certain—Trixie was far from harmless.