How many steps had been taken back towards Nigredo before her sight started to unfocus? She hadn't thought to count. For a moment, everything blurred, and she reached a long sleeve up to wipe at her eyes. The risk of darkness wasn't too much a fear--only the fact that she'd be at odds protecting others made the movement frantic. She stared down, rubbing her eyes until her focus cleared as much as it was able in the gloom.

Had she, though? Had she been able to see again? Because when she looked up again, things still blurred--two Nigredos where there should be one, and when she blinked the image stayed. The second one, closer to her, solidified. A hand reached out and she froze.

The tone was close but gave too much feeling as it spoke. It told of a person who kept their emotions close instead of carefully managing them. She stared wide-eyed down at the one next to her, faded, washed out, but just as solid as the one watching the duplicate with something close to shock and horror. What was...?

Her gaze traveled to Nigredo then back to his shade. The tone was too small for her not to respond to, even as her mind reeled at the situation. What was this? Her hand moved, as if to cover the one on her sleeve, but then it stayed where it was. "What are you scared of?" she returned, voice as quiet as the one that had spoken, echoing some sort of reassurance despite its shaking.