When I regained consciousness, the world spun around me. The throbbing pain in my head was almost unbearable. I tried to move, but my body was held captive by cold, metal chains that clinked together with every attempt. Panic crept up inside me, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

Colette cautiously entered the room, her eyes fixed on me. Her appearance was a far cry from her usual poised and put-together self. Instead, she looked tired and worn-out, as if she hadn't slept in days. She held a cup of water in her hand and approached me with a small smile.

"Sorry about the chains," she muttered as she handed me the cup. "We just have to be cautious after what happened."

It all came rushing back to me then - the fight, the darkness, the madness. I took a long sip of the water, grateful for its coolness.

"How long have I been out?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"About two days," Colette replied. "Do you need anything else?"

I shook my head slowly, the pain dissipating slightly with Colette's presence.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" she said softly. I nodded, and she continued, "Did you know anything about the other you? What she said, about fractured souls?"

"I knew that someone else was in my soul, but they seemed to be benevolent, unlike Y," I replied. "And I had no knowledge of fractured souls before she mentioned it."

Colette's words lingered in my mind as she walked away, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for her concern. However, the pain that had dissipated earlier started to return as she got further away. I didn't want to be selfish and ask her to stay, so I simply thanked her and urged her to rest.

In what felt like days, I drifted in and out of consciousness, the passing of time seeming distorted and slow. But eventually, I woke to find Colette and her sister Elise at my bedside. Though I recognized Elise from our previous encounters, I felt strangely uncomfortable in her presence.

As if on instinct, I reached for my mask, feeling a gentle guiding sensation that I could resist if I tried. This was different from Y's takeover, which was absolute and overpowering. However, I was too weak to resist this time.

Colette noticed my movement and quickly stepped in to block her sister from getting too close to me. With the mask now in place, I stood up, feeling the pain and discomfort completely gone from my mind. I greeted Elise with a bow, "Miss Winnr, it's great to see you again."

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Elise stared at me in confusion before finally saying my name, "X?"

"The one and only," I said, smirking.

Colette's eyes widened, but she kept her blocking arm in place. "How do we know you are not Y pretending to be someone else?" she asked.

"Y?" I said, confused. "Gods above, she was not supposed to take control." I turned to Colette. "Though you have no reason to believe me, I can guarantee I am not that monster." Then I muttered to myself, "I could have sworn Mr. Gramble was holding her back."

I took a seat, and Elise walked up to me. "Y mentioned something about fractured souls. What do you know about that?"

"Quite a bit," I said, smiling. "Tell me what you know, and I'll fill in some of the blanks."

Elise nodded. "Fractured souls are a rare occurrence that is generally correlated to some sort of trauma, but I do not know of any cases where it resulted in three separate personalities. Most cases of it that I have found are more like two aspects of a person separated."

"I see," I said. "You are quite knowledgeable, Miss Winnr. What you just described is the standard case of a Fractured Soul. However, Quinn's case is more complicated. By all accounts, she should not be alive. And neither should any of the people in her soul." I motioned to Colette. "I'm sure you noticed that one day, Quinn started acting different."

Colette nodded. "Yes, I did find that strange. Is that related?"

"That day, the Quinn you knew died," I said solemnly.

Elise furrows her brow in confusion, "Died? But you're still here."

I sigh and pluck a strand of my hair, “You are not thinking of it right,” I pull the hair so that it is taut, “Most people view time just like this strand of hair, where time moves linearly. That is not at all the case, time is more like the entire head of hair. There are interwoven timelines, some that fray out and other metaphorical things I don’t have time to think about,” I sigh, “This strand of hair is your timeline, the New Quinn as well as me and Y come from different strands. When the old Quinn almost died, it was because her soul died, we filled her soul.”

Elise listens intently, trying to grasp the concept. "So, you're saying that there are different timelines, and the old Quinn's timeline ended when her soul died. And you and Y came from different timelines and filled her soul, creating a new timeline?"

I nod, "Exactly. The old Quinn's timeline ended, and a new one began with the birth of the new Quinn, who is a fusion of the three souls that now reside in her body. We are all different aspects of Quinn, and we each have our own memories and experiences."

Colette speaks up, "So, what does this mean for Quinn now? Is she in danger?"

I shake my head, "No, she's not in danger. But she needs to learn how to manage and control the different personalities within her. That's why we need your help, Miss Winnr. You're the closest thing we have to an expert on fractured souls, and we need your guidance."

Elise nods, "I'll do what I can to help. But it won't be easy. Fractured souls are extremely rare, and there's not much research on how to treat them. We'll have to work together and come up with a plan."

I smile, relieved. "Thank you, Miss Winnr. We appreciate your help more than you know."

"I will be taking my leave now," I say, reaching up to remove the mask that concealed my identity. But as soon as I do, a wave of dizziness overcomes me and my legs give way. I stumble and fall, and the world goes dark as I collapse into Colette's waiting arms.