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ISADORA SIGHED SOFTLY, TRAILING BEHIND BILLY AND KENDRA AS THEY VENTURED INTO THE UPSIDE DOWN VERSION OF HER old HOUSE.

Everything around her was dark and distorted, as if someone had taken her home and twisted it into a nightmare version of itself. The sight of her familiar home in this warped reality filled her with dread, but she forced herself to stay focused. There was no time to be afraid. They had a mission.

She had been surprised, and more than a little relieved, to discover that bicycles existed in the Upside Down. They'd managed to scavenge a few at her house as well as some from the Wheeler's house, enough for the group to ride to the trailer park. Isadora hadn't expected to find them, especially not here of all places.

"I didn't even know Mom kept our bikes," she remarked, as she, Billy, and Kendra each grabbed one from the garage.

Billy shot her a questioning look, his brow raised in mild surprise. "She never told you?"

Isadora shook her head. "If she did, I probably wasn't paying attention. Sophia and I used to ride our bikes all the time back in California, along the beach, but I thought Mom got rid of them before we moved to Hawkins."

She couldn't help the pang of nostalgia as she thought of those carefree days. Riding bikes with Sophia, the warm California breeze in their hair, before everything had changed. Now, it felt like they were riding into the heart of danger, each pedal taking them deeper into the Upside Down's eerie, desolate landscape.

As they pushed off and began the ride toward the trailer park, that nagging feeling of unease returned, like something was crawling under Isadora's skin. She tried to shake it off, but her instincts screamed that something was coming—something bad. The air was thick with tension, and she felt the strange, oppressive atmosphere pressing in on her as they pedalled forward. Red lightning cracked in the sky, lighting up the twisted trees and dark shadows.

Her heart raced when she noticed them: the bats. They were trailing them, circling above in the sky, their screeches echoing through the hollow air. Isadora came to a sudden stop, her breath catching in her throat as she watched them swoop and swirl menacingly.

"Is, you okay?" Billy's voice cut through her thoughts as he pulled up beside her. His eyes were laced with concern, his protective instincts kicking in as usual.

Isadora nodded stiffly, unable to tear her eyes away from the bats. She pointed toward the sky, where the creatures had begun to gather around the old Creel house, their dark wings casting eerie shadows on the ground. "Look," she whispered.

Billy followed her gaze, frowning as he watched the swarm. "I see them. Come on, Is. Let's keep moving. I just want to get out of this awful place."

"Yeah, me too," she whispered, forcing herself to breathe as she turned her bike around and followed him. But even as they continued riding, she couldn't shake the image of those bats—how they seemed to be drawn to the Creel house like a beacon of evil.

By the time they reached the trailer park, Isadora's nerves were frayed. The Upside Down version of the park looked even more sinister than the twisted reflection of her house. The trailers were decayed and abandoned, covered in vines and dust. The ground was cracked and uneven, the sky an oppressive red glow that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"This place is way creepier than the trailer park in our dimension," Isadora muttered under her breath. "God, I really hope we don't have to stay long."

Kendra, riding just ahead, echoed her thoughts. "Hopefully Dustin has a plan. I don't want to be here any longer than we have to be."

They dropped their bikes near Eddie's trailer and made their way toward the front door, their footsteps crunching on the brittle ground. The oppressive silence of the Upside Down was almost deafening.

"That's gotta be a Guinness World Record—most miles traveled inter-dimensionally," Robin quipped as they approached the door, her voice cutting through the stillness with forced humour.

Steve, rubbing his throat, grimaced. "Just inhaled a bunch of that Upside Down crap. It's stuck in my throat." He coughed hard, shaking his head in disgust.

Kendra shot him a look, her gaze softening as she noticed his wounds. "We're cleaning those properly when we get back. No arguments."

Isadora glanced at her own shoulder, where her own injury still throbbed faintly. Her fingers brushed over it absently as they reached the door to Eddie's trailer. Billy caught the gesture and quickly wrapped an arm around her, pressing a gentle kiss to her shoulder.

"And we're definitely getting yours cleaned up, too," Billy murmured, his voice low and protective.

Isadora shrugged, trying to downplay it. "It doesn't even hurt that bad," she said, but before she could say more, something inside the trailer caught her attention.

A pulsing red light emanated from the ground near the centre of the room. Isadora's heart skipped a beat as Eddie spoke up, his voice uncharacteristically solemn.

"This is where Chrissy died. Right here," Eddie whispered.

"I think there's something in there," Robin pointed, her eyes wide with alarm.

"What the hell is that?" Billy asked, his voice tight as he stepped forward cautiously. They all watched as something began to push through the red light, cracking the surface of the trailer's roof. They scrambled backward in fear as something broke through. Isadora's pulse raced, but when she looked up, her fear turned to disbelief.

Above them, peering through the ceiling as if it were a portal, were Dustin, Max, Lucas, and the others. They were waving down at them, grinning like they'd just pulled off a magic trick.

"No way," Steve muttered in shock.

Isadora couldn't help but laugh, the absurdity of the situation hitting her all at once. "This is insane."

"Bada-bada-boom!" Dustin yelled with a grin.

"I can't believe this is real," Billy said, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is...awesome."

"Pretty awesome," Isadora agreed. Relief flooded her. This was it—the gate. Once they crossed over, they'd be back in their world. They could regroup, make a plan, and figure out how to save Max from Vecna once and for all.

"So, how do we get through?" Billy asked, still staring at the hole.

"Dustin, can you help us?" Kendra called up to them.

"Hang tight! We're getting you out of there!" Dustin promised, his voice ringing with confidence. Isadora watched as Max and Lucas dragged a mattress to the spot and set it on the ground.

Isadora couldn't help but notice the dubious stains on the mattress. She shot Eddie a questioning look, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah, no idea what those stains are," Eddie said, shrugging sheepishly.

Isadora stifled a laugh as Dustin tossed a sheet rope down through the portal, urging them to pull on it to make sure it was secure. Robin tested it and, after giving a satisfied nod, began climbing through. With a grunt, she landed safely on the other side.

"Holy shit, it worked!" Isadora exclaimed, laughing as the others began to follow. Eddie, Kendra, and Nancy quickly made their way through, leaving her with Billy and Steve.

"Be careful, Princess," Billy said, his voice soft but firm as Isadora reached for the sheet rope.

"I'll be careful," she assured him, giving him a small smile. "See you on the other side."

But as soon as she began climbing, something went horribly wrong. Her hands slipped, and she felt herself falling—not into the portal, but into a dark, endless void. A scream tore from her throat as she plummeted, her body flailing helplessly through the air.

When she finally hit the ground, it knocked the wind out of her, leaving her gasping for breath. Pain shot through her as she struggled to sit up, her surroundings coming into focus. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as she realised she was no longer in the trailer. She was completely alone, in what appeared to be a distorted version of Starcourt Mall.

"Billy?" she called out, her voice trembling with fear. "Where are you? Billy!"

No answer. Isadora scrambled to her feet, her eyes darting around as panic set in. The mall was crumbling around her, dark and abandoned. And then, in the distance, she saw it—a lifeless body lying on the ground. Her heart seized in her chest as she stumbled forward, her breath catching when she recognised the figure.

"L-Laura," she whispered, tears prickling at her eyes.

"Do you remember what you did, Isadora?" a chilling voice echoed around her, cold and merciless. Flashes of the past began to assault her—her battle with the Mind Flayer, Laura pushing her out of the way, the devastating aftermath. "Or have you already forgotten?"

Isadora clutched her head, trying to block out the voice, but it grew louder, more taunting.

"When I kill someone...I never forget."

"It wasn't my fault!" Isadora cried, her voice breaking. "I-I didn't—"

But she knew who it was. Vecna. His presence loomed over her, suffocating her with fear. He had cursed her, marked her, and now he was closing in. She could feel it—his power, his control.

She had to get out. Now.

Desperation fueled her as she ran toward a set of stairs, her heart pounding in her ears. But the further she went, the more red fog seemed to fill the air, suffocating her. She stumbled, gasping for breath as she realised she was no longer just in the Upside Down.

She had entered Vecna's mind space.

~*~

Billy had no idea what had just happened. One second, Isadora was steadying herself, gripping the rope to climb through the portal, ready to escape the Upside Down. The next, something shifted—her hands slackened, her body went rigid, and her head tilted back. Her eyes rolled into her head, leaving only the whites visible, and she froze in place, like a puppet with its strings cut.

"Isadora!" Billy's heart slammed against his chest as he lunged toward her, catching her before she collapsed completely. He dropped to his knees beside her, cradling her limp form in his arms. Panic surged through him, raw and primal, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of what was happening. She wasn't moving. She wasn't speaking. Her eyes remained locked in that unnatural stare.

"Is! Come on, damn it! Wake up!" His voice cracked with desperation as he gently shook her, his hands trembling. He gripped her shoulders, as if holding her tighter could somehow bring her back from whatever dark place she had fallen into. "Please, Is! Snap out of it!"

But there was nothing—no response, no flicker of recognition in her eyes. It was like she was trapped somewhere far away, unreachable. The sound of her ragged breathing was the only sign she was still alive, but even that was faint, fragile.

From above, Max peered down into the Upside Down, her face pale with dread as she realised what was happening. "Shit, it's Vecna," she breathed, horror creeping into her voice. Her heart pounded as she watched Billy gripping Isadora, trying to bring her back from the trance.

Billy whipped his head up toward Max, confusion and fear flashing in his eyes. "What the hell are you talking about?" he barked, his voice sharp with panic. He didn't understand—what did she mean it was Vecna? What was happening to Isadora?

Max's eyes darted around frantically, her mind racing as she recalled what had happened to her, how she had been pulled into Vecna's mind and barely escaped with her life. "W-we need music!" she stammered, her voice shaky but determined. "We need to play music—something to snap her out of this!"

"Music?!" Billy looked at her like she was crazy, but the desperation in Max's voice was undeniable. He wasn't about to argue. "Where the hell are we supposed to get music?!"

Max scrambled to her feet, frantically searching through the bags they had brought with them. "I don't know, just hold on! I'll find something!" she shouted as she tore through the supplies, her hands trembling with urgency. She knew they were running out of time—every second that passed, Vecna's hold on Isadora tightened.

Billy's grip on Isadora tightened as well, his knuckles white as he clutched her to him, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He glanced down at her, his heart twisting painfully in his chest as he watched the vacant expression on her face. She looked so lost, so far away, and it terrified him. He had seen this before, when Max had been pulled into Vecna's curse. He knew what could happen if they didn't act fast—he wasn't about to lose Isadora to that monster.

"Isadora, please, come back," he whispered, his voice breaking. He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his touch gentle despite the panic surging inside him. "I need you to come back to me. Don't let him take you."

~*~

The eerie, incessant ticking of a clock reverberated through the silence, catching Isadora's attention as she walked deeper into the twisted halls of the Creel House. It wasn't just any ticking—it was slow, deliberate, almost as though time itself was breathing down her neck. She stopped in her tracks, the sound seeping into her bones, making her entire body shiver. The house around her felt alive, like it was watching her, waiting for something. The air was thick, heavy, almost suffocating.

She glanced around nervously, feeling a knot tighten in her chest. Every corner of this place was wrong—too dark, too still, too filled with the weight of forgotten horrors. She could feel it in the very walls, in the floors that creaked beneath her feet.

"I know I'm cursed," she whispered to herself, barely able to hear her own voice over the ticking. Her breath caught as she swallowed the rising lump in her throat. "If I'm here... that probably means I'm going to die." Saying the words out loud made them feel more real, and her fear grew heavier, more tangible, sinking into her skin like ice.

Her feet kept moving forward, though, almost against her will. It was as if the house itself was pulling her, guiding her down the staircase, each step echoing ominously. Her heart pounded in her chest, the dread rising with every second.

Then, a voice—cold, deep, and detached—cut through the silence like a blade. "I see you and your friends have been looking for me, Isadora. You were so close. So close to the truth."

The voice made her skin crawl, a chill washing over her. Her pulse quickened, and her breath came in ragged gasps. She knew that voice—it was him. Vecna. His presence was suffocating, pressing down on her like an invisible weight.

"Please," Isadora's voice cracked, barely above a whisper, as she descended the stairs further, her feet moving faster now. "I don't want to die."

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, her heart lurched in her chest. Lying there, motionless on the floor, was Chrissy's lifeless body, just as she had been found after Vecna's curse had claimed her. Isadora's breath caught, and she stumbled back, her eyes wide with horror. She wanted to turn away, to close her eyes, but something in this place wouldn't let her.

Her gaze was drawn to a stained-glass window beside the body, the image of a red rose glowing faintly in the dim light. For a moment, it was just a window, but then, with a slow, eerie creak, it swung open, revealing a scene that seemed to bleed into the present from the past.

A young family walked through the front door of the Creel House, their faces lit with excitement and wonder. It was like watching a ghostly memory unfold before her.

"What'd I tell ya?" the father said with a smile, his voice filled with pride.

"Wow," the wife breathed, her eyes wide with admiration.

"This is amazing. It looks like a fairytale, a dream," she continued, taking in the grandeur of the house.

"Alice, no running!" the father called, his voice stern but loving, as a little girl squealed with delight and raced up the stairs, her laughter echoing through the halls.

Isadora's heart tightened as she watched them, her breath hitching in her throat. This place, once filled with so much joy and hope, was now twisted into something dark and terrible. She could feel it—the creeping sense of doom lurking behind the walls.

Her eyes shifted to the boy standing off to the side, quiet and detached. There was something different about him, something unsettling. He was like a shadow in his own family, unnoticed, unimportant, but Isadora could feel the weight of his presence.

A voice—Vecna's voice—cut through the air again, speaking directly into her mind. "Like you, I didn't fit in with the other children. Something was wrong with me."

Isadora's heart pounded as she followed the boy, her movements slow and hesitant. He led her down the dimly lit hallway, the lights flickering overhead, casting long, eerie shadows on the walls.

"All the teachers and doctors said I was broken. My parents thought a change of scenery might help—Hawkins, this house, but it was absurd. As if the world would be any different here."

Isadora swallowed hard. She understood that feeling all too well. The feeling of being out of place, of starting over in a strange town, hoping it would fix something that couldn't be fixed. She followed the boy, her heart heavy with a strange empathy for him, even as her instincts screamed for her to run.

"But then, to my surprise," the voice continued, growing darker, more menacing, "our new home provided a discovery."

The boy, now standing near a vent, reached inside with eerie calmness. Isadora felt a wave of nausea as he pulled something out—black widow spiders. She froze, the sight triggering a memory of her own—the spiders she had seen in her dimension. The same, familiar fear crawled up her spine.

"And with that discovery, I found a newfound sense of purpose," Vecna whispered through the boy. "I found a nest of black widows living inside the vent. Most people fear spiders, but I found them endlessly fascinating. Comforting."

Isadora's skin prickled with dread as she continued to follow the boy, her heart racing. He was leading her deeper into the house, through hallways that seemed to stretch on forever, each corner revealing more horrors. Finally, they reached the attic, where the boy sat quietly, sketching. Isadora crept closer, peering over his shoulder, her breath catching as she saw what he was drawing—an intricately detailed spider.

"A kinship," Vecna's voice said softly. "Like me, they are solitary creatures, misunderstood. They are gods in our world, the most important of predators. They immobilise and feed on the weak, bringing balance to the ecosystem, but humans... humans disrupt that balance."

Isadora's heart pounded in her ears, her chest tight with fear and unease. She couldn't look away from the boy as he continued to draw, his expression calm, detached, as if he believed every word of what Vecna was saying.

"Humans are a unique type of pest," the voice sneered. "They multiply and poison the world, enforcing their own structure. Where others saw order, I saw a straitjacket."

The boy stood up suddenly, his eyes fixed on the grandfather clock in the hallway. Isadora followed him down the stairs again, each step growing heavier, her dread increasing as the clock's ticking grew louder and louder, almost deafening.

"A cruel, oppressive world dictated by made-up rules," Vecna's voice echoed. "Seconds, minutes, hours... all ticking away. Everyone is waiting for it to be over, while performing the same pointless routine, but I refused. I couldn't close my mind and pretend everything was normal. I realised... I didn't have to."

The clock chimed, and the sound distorted, sending a jolt of fear through Isadora. She felt it now, the full weight of Vecna's power bearing down on her. He wasn't just controlling the clock—he was controlling everything. The rules of this world, the boundaries of time and space, all bent to his will.

"I could make my own rules," Vecna said, his voice now dripping with dark satisfaction. "I could restore balance to this broken world. I could be a predator... for good."

A sharp, shrill scream cut through the air, making Isadora jump. She turned, only to find herself outside in a garden, watching a rabbit flee for its life, but the boy followed it, calm and deliberate, as if it were a game.

"As I practiced, I realised I could do more than I ever imagined," Vecna continued, his voice chilling. "I could reach into others—into their minds, their memories."

Isadora watched in horror as the boy extended his hand, and with a simple gesture, the rabbit's life was snuffed out. Its small body fell limp in the grass, and Isadora's stomach twisted with nausea. She stumbled back, bile rising in her throat as she realised the boy had powers—powers just like Eleven's, but far darker.

"I became an explorer," the voice whispered, almost reverently. "I saw my parents for what they truly were. They pretended to be good, normal people, but it was all a lie."

Isadora backed away, her heart pounding in her chest. She needed to get out of here, to escape this nightmare before it consumed her, but Vecna's voice continued, relentless.

"My father thought it was a demon," he sneered. "A punishment for their sins, but my mother... she knew the truth. She knew it was me."

The ticking of the clock grew louder again, its sound warping and twisting. Isadora turned back toward the house, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. She couldn't stay here. She had to run, had to find her friends, had to get away before Vecna claimed her life.

But as she bolted back into the house, the horrors only grew worse. Lights flickered violently, casting eerie shadows across the walls. Isadora's heart nearly stopped as she reached the dining room and saw the mother floating in the air, her bones snapping grotesquely. Her lifeless body fell with a sickening thud onto the dining table.

Isadora clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling a scream. Her eyes filled with tears, her body trembling uncontrollably as she watched the gruesome scene unfold.

"With every life I took," Vecna's voice echoed coldly, "I grew stronger. They became a part of me."

Tears blurred Isadora's vision as she stumbled down the hallway, her breath coming in ragged sobs. Her eyes fell on the lifeless form of a young girl—the boy's sister—lying in the hallway, her body twisted and broken. The boy, now drained of energy, collapsed, and his father rushed to his side, cradling him.

"He was arrested," Vecna's voice said, almost triumphant. "Blamed for their deaths. Just as I had planned."

Isadora could barely breathe as she watched police storm the house, dragging the father away in handcuffs. Her legs felt weak, her entire body trembling with fear. She turned to run, but the house seemed to shift around her, trapping her.

"I woke up from my coma," Vecna continued, his voice growing darker. "Only to find myself in the care of Dr. Martin Brenner."

Isadora's surroundings blurred again, and she found herself in Hawkins Lab—the same lab her mother had once worked in. She watched in horror as a young boy, strapped to a chair, was tattooed with a number: 001.

"Brenner didn't want to study me," Vecna said. "He wanted to control me."

Isadora watched, frozen in place, as the boy was branded with the number. Her heart raced as she saw the scene change again, this time showing the massacre at the lab—the bodies, the blood, the chaos. It was a scene from a nightmare, one that felt all too real.

And then she saw it—Eleven, blasting Vecna through a portal into the Upside Down, but it wasn't over. Vecna was still here, still in control, and Isadora was still trapped.

She turned to run again, her heart pounding in her chest, but as she did, Vecna's voice cut through the air, cold and mocking.

"See? There's nothing to be afraid of, Isadora. Why don't you take a seat?"

Isadora's breath hitched, her blood running cold as she saw Vecna standing before her. His eyes locked onto hers, and she felt his presence invade her mind, his power pressing down on her like a vice.

"No!" she cried, her voice breaking as she turned and bolted down the hallway. The walls seemed to close in on her, and everywhere she looked, bloodied, lifeless bodies littered the ground. Distant screams echoed through the lab, and her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst from her chest.

She ran faster, her feet pounding against the floor as panic consumed her. She had to escape. She had to find a way out before Vecna could claim her life, before he could pull her into the darkness forever.

~*~

"Please stay with me, Princess. Stay with me, okay?" Billy's voice was raw, cracking with desperation as he held Isadora's face in his hands. He could feel the chill of her skin beneath his fingers, her body limp in his arms, eyes rolled back in that awful, vacant stare. He gently shook her again, his voice breaking. "Come on, Is! Don't leave me. Snap out of it, please!"

Her stillness was deafening. The only sound around them was the unnerving ticking of the clock, echoing through the cursed air of the Upside Down. Billy's heart pounded, his panic growing with each passing second as he glanced toward the others. There was no time left. Vecna's grip was tightening, and Isadora was slipping away.

"Whatever you guys are doing up there, hurry up!" Steve's voice cut through the tension, loud and urgent. He stood by the portal, pacing nervously as he looked down at Billy, who was desperately trying to keep Isadora from succumbing to the trance. Erica, who had been keeping an eye on the situation, nodded and dashed into the other room where the rest of the group was tearing apart a pile of cassette tapes, searching for the one thing that could save her.

Max, her face pale and determined, looked up from the tapes, her hands trembling slightly. "What does she like to listen to?" she asked, her voice tight with worry.

"Grease or ABBA, mostly," Ellie answered quickly, her fingers flying through the pile of tapes in front of her, her eyes scanning the labels with frantic urgency. They needed something, anything that could connect to Isadora's memories and pull her back from Vecna's clutches.

"Steve says you need to hurry!" Erica shouted again from the doorway, the urgency in her voice matching the rising tension in the room.

"Yeah, no shit!" Robin snapped, her voice sharp with frustration as she threw aside another tape that didn't seem right. The pressure was mounting, and every passing second felt like a countdown to disaster. "We're trying! But we can't find anything that'll work!" Her frustration was palpable, her hands shaking as she ripped through more tapes.

Kendra, who had been sifting through a separate stack, picked up a tape and stared at it, her brow furrowed. She tossed it aside with a growl. "What is all this crap?" she muttered under her breath, her fingers running through the disorganised mess of tapes.

"What are you even looking for?" Eddie asked, his voice tinged with bewilderment as he watched the chaos unfold. He wasn't sure how to help, but the desperation in the room was contagious. Everyone was on edge, their nerves stretched thin.

"Madonna, Blondie, Bowie, Beatles—anything!" Robin shouted, her voice laced with panic as she waved her hands at the growing pile of discarded tapes. Her mind raced, trying to think of the songs Isadora had mentioned before, but her thoughts were clouded by fear. "Music! We need music! Something she loves! Something that'll bring her back!"

"Or ABBA," Ellie muttered, still furiously sorting through the tapes, her hands moving faster as she felt the seconds slipping away.

"This is music!" Eddie shot back, holding up a random tape with a look of exasperation, his patience wearing thin. He couldn't understand why none of the music they had seemed to be good enough.

Robin glared at him, her frustration boiling over. "Not the right kind!" she shouted. "We need something that connects with her, Eddie! Something she loves! It has to be her favourite, or it won't work!" Her voice broke slightly as the weight of the situation pressed down on her. Time was running out, and Isadora was running out of chances.

Eddie threw up his hands in frustration, but Ellie didn't stop. Her hands were shaking now, but she refused to give up. Somewhere in this mess was the tape they needed. Isadora's life depended on it.

Back in the Upside Down, Billy's heart hammered in his chest as he stared down at Isadora's pale face, his fingers brushing her cold skin. She wasn't responding—she wasn't moving, and that hollow, empty look in her eyes was terrifying. He could feel Vecna's pull, like a shadow looming over them, threatening to drag her away forever.

"Come on, Princess," Billy whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. "Don't go. Please, don't go." He gently pressed his forehead to hers, his body trembling with the effort of holding her close, of trying to keep her grounded in their reality. He couldn't lose her. Not like this.

Steve stood by the portal, his eyes darting between Billy and the room where the others were still frantically searching. His fists clenched and unclenched as the weight of the moment pressed down on him. "Hurry the hell up!" he yelled, his voice filled with a rising panic. "We don't have much time!"

Billy was on the edge of losing control. His eyes were glued to Isadora's face, his heart pounding painfully in his chest. Her breathing was shallow, her body limp in his arms, and the ticking of the clock was like a countdown to the worst moment of his life.

"Come on, Is," Billy whispered, his voice raw with emotion. "Please, come back."

~*~

"Damn it!" Isadora's voice broke through the eerie silence, thick with desperation as she reached a boarded-up door deep within the twisted corridors of Hawkins Lab. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her hands shaking as she gripped the wooden planks, yanking with all her strength. The wood was old, rotted, and splintered under her fingers, but it held firm. Panic surged through her veins, cold and unforgiving, as she pulled harder, feeling her skin scrape against the rough edges. The boards wouldn't budge.

"Come on!" she screamed, her voice echoing down the dimly lit hallway. Her hands ached from the effort, her body trembling with fear. She slammed her fist against the wood in frustration, the sound a dull thud. "Son of a—!"

The oppressive air around her seemed to tighten, and suddenly, a chilling voice filled the space, sending a cold wave of dread through her.

"Isadora," Vecna's voice was low and menacing, a cruel mockery of calm.

Her blood ran cold as she turned, her heart pounding in her chest. There he was, moving toward her with a slow, deliberate stride, his form twisted and terrifying. His very presence warped the world around him, like he was bending reality itself to his will. The shadows clung to him, his towering figure dark and imposing, and every step he took felt like a death knell in the stillness.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she yanked even harder on the boards, desperately trying to pry them free. Her fingers slipped against the rough wood, nails splintering as she struggled. "What are you doing?" Vecna's voice cut through the silence, closer now. "It's not time for you to leave."

"No!" Isadora screamed, her voice cracking as she pulled with every ounce of strength left in her. The fear was like a fire burning inside her, pushing her forward, but the boards wouldn't give. They were solid, impenetrable, as if the world itself had sealed her fate. She could feel his presence creeping up on her, feel the cold fingers of fear wrapping around her throat.

Vecna's steps were slow, methodical, as he continued his approach. "Now that you've seen where I've been," he said, his voice cold and detached, "I'd like very much to show you where I'm going."

A surge of raw panic shot through Isadora, and with a final, desperate pull, the door gave way. She stumbled forward, crashing through the opening, her heart racing with a fleeting sense of hope. But it was short-lived. The room she had broken into was a dead-end. Her eyes darted around, frantic, searching for another way out, but there was none. The walls seemed to close in on her, and in the centre of the room, a single chair stood, vines creeping along the floor like dark serpents, waiting for her.

Before she could react, the vines shot up, wrapping around her ankles and wrists, dragging her backward and slamming her into the chair. The cold, slimy tendrils snaked around her limbs, holding her down with unnatural strength. She fought against them, her muscles straining as she pulled at her restraints, but the vines only tightened, digging into her skin.

"N-no, please!" Isadora's voice trembled, her eyes wide with terror as she struggled. Her pulse was pounding in her ears, her breathing ragged. She thrashed, desperate to break free, but the vines held her fast, binding her tighter with every movement. Her heart raced as she watched Vecna draw closer, his towering form casting a long shadow over her.

His eyes, cold and empty, locked onto hers as he leaned in, his presence overwhelming. "I want you to tell Eleven," Vecna whispered, his voice dripping with malice, "I want you to tell her everything you see."

Tears filled Isadora's eyes as she shook her head, her body trembling under the weight of his power. "No..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. But before she could say more, Vecna's hand shot out, cold and skeletal, pressing against her forehead.

Isadora screamed as a searing pain exploded in her mind. Her vision blurred, and suddenly, she was no longer in the lab. She was somewhere else—somewhere dark, twisted, and terrifying.

Flashes of destruction filled her mind, images so vivid they felt real. Hawkins was in ruins, buildings crumbling, fire raging across the town. The sky was a deep, unnatural red, torn apart by thunderous cracks of energy. The streets were littered with bodies—people she knew, people she loved. Her friends. Her family. All of them—gone. Dead. Their lifeless eyes staring up at her, frozen in time.

Isadora sobbed, shaking her head as she fought against the images assaulting her mind. "No, no, no!" she cried, her voice hoarse with anguish. The pain in her head was unbearable, like her skull was being torn apart from the inside.

But the worst part was the overwhelming sense of loss, of hopelessness. Hawkins was destroyed. Everything she had fought for, everything she had tried to protect—gone, wiped out in the blink of an eye. The world was collapsing around her, and all she could do was watch.

"Tell her everything," Vecna's voice was an eerie whisper in the background of her mind, like a dark presence haunting her every thought.

"No!" Isadora screamed, tears streaming down her face as the images continued to flood her mind. Her body convulsed, fighting against the pain, against the horrible reality that was unfolding before her. The death, the destruction, the utter helplessness—it was too much. She could feel her will breaking, her mind shattering under the weight of it all.

"Tell her everything," Vecna repeated, his grip on her tightening, his control absolute.

"No!" she screamed again, louder this time, her voice cracking as she fought back with everything she had. And then, just as suddenly as the visions began, everything shifted.

The world around her swirled and blurred, and she felt herself being yanked out of the nightmare, the overwhelming pain and terror beginning to fade. She gasped, her body shaking as she fell backward, crashing into strong, familiar arms.

"Isadora, whoa, whoa!" Billy's voice was there, grounding her, pulling her back to reality. "Hey, I got you. You're okay. I'm here, Princess. I'm right here." His arms were wrapped tightly around her, holding her steady as she collapsed against him, her chest heaving with sobs.

Isadora clung to him, her fingers gripping his jacket as if he were the only thing tethering her to reality. Her body trembled uncontrollably, the lingering terror of the vision still fresh in her mind. She blinked through the tears, trying to process what she had just seen—what Vecna had shown her. The end of everything. Hawkins, destroyed. Her friends—gone.

Billy held her close, his voice soft and steady as he whispered reassurances, his hands gently rubbing her back. "You're okay, Is. I've got you. You're safe. You're safe with me."

But Isadora knew she wasn't safe. None of them were. She had seen it—the future Vecna intended to create. It wasn't just about saving Max anymore. It wasn't even about surviving. Vecna's plan was bigger, darker, more catastrophic than she had imagined. Hawkins was just the beginning. If they didn't stop him, the entire world would fall.

She buried her face in Billy's chest, her tears soaking into his shirt as she sobbed quietly. The weight of what she had seen—what she now knew—pressed down on her like a vice. They had to stop him. They had to find a way. If they didn't, there would be nothing left to save.

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Hello,

From here the storyline has quite a few changes in it but it's so it fits the storyline of the fanfic for s4.

Enjoy! Xo

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