Suffocating, drowning, dying. Virgil was dying again. The air in his lungs was all he had. Thomas was having another nightmare and while Virgil wasn't really about to die, he felt like he was on the verge of death. His hands were wrapped around his own throat, clutching as if it would give him more air. His vision blurred and he screamed, praying that would end the nightmare sooner. Virgil fell to his knees, begging silently for the pain of it all to end.

Thomas started, hands on his throat, tears in his eyes and said chocolate orbs wide with fear. A bad dream, it was all a bad dream. Thomas relaxed, rubbing his forehead before going back to sleep.

Virgil felt the air rush into his lungs. Thomas had woken up. Virgil let his breathing calm, taking in the air like this was his last chance at getting it. He stood again only to feel like he had been tied up, rough non-existent rope on his wrists, ankles, chest and neck. Virgil wasn't ready for another nightmare, not now. What would make Thomas wake up? Fear. Lots of fear. He focused his energy on bringing a panic over Thomas's mind, his concentration faltered as he felt a blade on his chest. Virgil felt the blade press harder and harder. He let out a sob and dropped to the floor. A dark aura covered the room.

Roman burst in, looking for Virgil. He spotted him on the floor and then looked around the room to see the light being sapped from directly around Virgil's spot on the floor.

"Virgil! Stop giving Thomas nightmares dammit!" Roman yelled. Virgil screamed, loud and high. Roman started as the greyscale part of the room reached his feet. Nothing happened but he suddenly felt incredibly afraid. Roman ran up to Virgil and shook his shoulder, he needed to help but he didn't know how. Virgil screamed again and purple syrupy liquid spurted from his mouth and over his clothes. Roman sat in front of the anxious side.

"Virgil? Virgil! Wake up! Wake up Virgil dammit!"
"Nononono, please, stop it. Hurts, please stop!"
"Virgil! Virgil, it's not real, please!" A third presence made itself known with a sharp gasp and a thud. Roman turned to see Patton on the floor, shaking like mad. Roman carried Patton to the sofa and pushed Virgil up onto it as well.

"Please! Virgil, Patton, listen to me ple-!" Roman was cut off by something stabbing him in the chest. He gagged and coughed up the same liquid Virgil had, except red. Roman panicked, the colour was too dark to be blood but what if it was? Logan entered the room a moment later, bleary eyed and rubbing his eyes.

"What are you doing? Roman, Virgil? Patton!?" Logan sat in front of the two on the sofa and ignored the urge to cough up the deep blue liquid that felt like it was invading his lungs, knowing it would cause him panic. Roman was shaking and staring at his hands where the liquid lay the colour of wine. Patton wasn't moving but the light blue liquid slipped from his partly open lips. Virgil was worst, choking up large amounts of the nightmarish, fake, purple blood and doubling in on the knife wounds he was convinced he was experiencing. Deceit rushed in, a bucket in one hand, yellow liquid on his chin and a barely panicked expression drawn on his features. Logan looked up at Deceit.

"As long as you do see your own it can not scare you." He explained as he passed the bucket to Logan. He gave up and closed his eyes dropping his head and spilling navy into the bucket. He lifted his head before opening his eyes and staring at Deceit.

"What do we do?"
"Lie"
"How will that help?!"
"First, you need to keep calm. Second, I've helped Virgil through this before and if we attack the root of the problem we solve it."
"He's gone through this before?"
"Before you accepted him, when there was no one to turn to. He almost killed himself but I told him things would get worse and continued to discourage him until he passed out. He is the cause and the greatest victim. Stop the cause, stop the spread. If this infects all of Thomas's mind he may end up with a second anxiety. This means he'll be paranoid and we need to stop that. Patton could die from this. Roman could be almost completely changed. We need to stop it at Virgil."
"Okay. How do I do this?"
"Follow my lead. Virgil, this is only the beginning, we're not going to let you die but we'll keep this game going for a long time."
"Is he seeing anyone in particular?"
"We can paint it to be a certain person."
"Virgil, it's me, Logan. I'm not here to save you, I'm here because I hate you, I truly despise you. You think I loved you? Thought of you as a brother, a member of the family? Pathetic." Logan looked at Deceit who nodded proudly as Logan continued. Virgil screamed again before he tipped forwards and passed out. The room faded to a lighter grey instead of the almost black colour it had been before.

"I had not expected this. One of the other two has taken on the role of the root of the problem. Or a second anxiety has been made. I wish Virgil were awake..." Deceit started surveying the other two, trying to gauge which one was more panicked. Logan tapped Deceit's shoulder.

"Should I search for a second anxiety?"
"Yes, prioritize Virgil's favourite places. The new anxiety should follow similar rules unless they're PTSD."
"What? As in, post traumatic stress disorder?"
"Exactly, Virgil is general and social anxiety, seeing as Thomas has so little general anxiety disorder it isn't a separate being. A separate being for PTSD specifically could cause catastrophic changes here. You need to go, look absolutely everywhere."
"Alright, and if I find a second anxiety?"
"Bring him to me, I will be able to tell immediately which type of anxiety he is."
"As you wish..."

Dun dun duuun... I wanted a cliff hanger so y'all got a cliff hanger.
See you later!
~Jay