"Are you sure you're alright?" Page asked, long after Dara had edged off the couch and stumbled away from the complex arrangement of wires and cables in the living room. Dara scurried to the kitchen if it meant putting as much distance between them as possible. Her chest heaved, and a dull throb had started at the base of her neck, working its way up to her temples. Her chest felt tight. She couldn't breathe. Not properly, at least.

Her mind ran over the same thoughts, going in circles. What was real? What had been real? Who was Page, and who was Dara? Questions upon questions, and only Page had the answer to everything. What did Dara do to deserve this treatment? She didn't agree to become some sort of experiment for Page's twisted entertainment. What...

"Dara? Why are you hiding out there?" Page asked, her voice getting closer. Her head poked past the bend from the living room, making Dara flinch. Concern rippled across Page's face. That blasted look. Again. That, sure as hell, was the least real thing in this house. "Did you see something inside the probe? I'm sorry. I should have terminated it as soon as I can, but a device glitched and—"

"I'm alright," Dara said, her voice clipped. Her mug from earlier still contained half of her drink. She didn't get to finish it before Page whined about Dara getting into the probe. If Dara resisted further, would Page have hit her? Dara shook her head, balancing her weight against the kitchen counter. Work. She needed to get to work. Focus on Page later. Perhaps, a bath might help.

None of that. She gripped the mug's ear and downed the rest of the coffee. The heat and the delight she expected from the drink was long gone. Her hands braced the counter's edge again, the cold digging into her palms. "I'm alright."

She wasn't kidding anyone. It was more to convince herself than Page, and her lover was privy to that. "Dara, what did you see there?" Page asked, drawing closer. "Please tell me. I can...I can fix it. Somehow."

"I saw nothing, okay?" Dara snapped, stepping back. Like a cornered prey, she edged away from Page. She didn't care if Page noticed or not. "Getting trapped spooked me. That's all. I'll be fine in a few."

"No, you definitely saw something," Page reasoned. Cold bristles pricked down Dara's arms and spine. Page knew. And she wouldn't rest until Dara poured it all out. That much was obvious. "What is it? Tell me."

"Then what?" Dara growled. Afraid. It took her this long to realize what dripped from her tone was fear. Dara was afraid. Of Page, of what she could do,and of what she has already done. "You're gonna alter it and pretend it didn't happen?"

Page's eyes widened. Now that Dara was aware of it, she saw how fake her expressions were. "What..."

"There you have it—I saw everything," Dara rasped. Her fists clenched by her sides, the coffee in her system only amplifying the shock and confusion coursing in her veins. "I know what you did to me."

She shook her head, backing away until her shoulders hit the kitchen wall. "I...I want out, Page."

She raised her head to find Page's frame standing a few paces away. The woman was still, as if she wasn't sure how to deal with Dara's outburst.

"Let's break up," Dara finished. "You've been lying to me all this time, touching my memories without my consent. It's...it scares me, Page. I need space. I'm sorry."

Without waiting for Page's answer, Dara stalked past her ex-lover and rushed to her room. She twisted the lock and turned to the closet bearing most of her things. Then, she started packing.