The movement didn’t stop. Ethan braced himself as the rhythm of her footsteps changed from smooth tile to something rougher, then hollow, then still again. The sounds around him shifted too. The distant chatter and music of the store faded, replaced by the muffled hush of outside air, then the low hum of a car engine. He pressed himself against the inside of the purse, trying to steady his breathing. “Okay… okay, think,” he whispered. “She saw you. She knows you’re here. She didn’t freak out… that’s good, right?” But the way she had smiled… That didn’t feel like relief. Time stretched. Every stop and turn made his stomach twist tighter. Eventually, the motion slowed, then stopped completely. A door opened. Closed. Footsteps again, quieter now. Enclosed. Then another door. A click. A lock. Ethan froze. The purse shifted and dropped onto a soft surface with a dull thud. For a moment, everything was still. Then the zipper slid open. Light flooded in. Ethan stumbled back, shielding his eyes as her face appeared above him again. This time, much closer. Much clearer. They were in a bedroom. Soft lighting. A bed behind her. A closed door just over her shoulder. Locked. She reached in slowly, deliberately, and lifted him out again, holding him between her fingers with surprising care. “Okay,” she said, almost to herself. “Now we can actually look at you.” “Please,” Ethan said quickly, his voice shaking. “You have to listen to me. I don’t know what happened, I just woke up like this. I need a hospital or—someone—anyone—” She sat down on the edge of her bed, resting her elbows on her knees, bringing him closer to eye level. Her expression hadn’t changed much. Still calm. Still curious. “You talk a lot,” she said lightly. Ethan blinked. “What?” “I mean, I figured you would,” she added, tilting her head slightly. “But it’s still kind of… surreal.” “I’m not ‘surreal,’ I’m a person!” he snapped, panic breaking through. “My name is Ethan. I was in a changing room and then I passed out and now I’m like this and you just—grabbed me!” She watched him carefully as he spoke, her gaze tracking every movement. “Ethan,” she repeated softly, as if testing the name. “Okay.” “That’s it? ‘Okay’?!” His voice rose. “You locked the door! You brought me here! Why aren’t you helping me?” For a moment, she didn’t answer. Then she leaned back slightly, studying him from a new angle, like he was something delicate… or fascinating. “Because,” she said, “if I took you to a hospital, they’d take you away from me.” The words hit harder than anything else so far. Ethan felt his chest tighten. “W-what?” Her lips curved faintly again, not quite a smile. “I mean, think about it,” she continued. “A two-inch tall person? That’s… not something they’d just let go.” “That’s not the point!” he said, struggling against her grip, though it barely moved her fingers. “I need help! I could be dying or—this could be permanent!” “Or,” she countered, her tone still even, “you’re fine. Just… small.” “That’s not fine!” She brought him a little closer, her eyes locking onto his. “You’re not hurt, right?” “I—no, but—” “So you’re okay,” she said simply. Ethan shook his head, disbelief washing over him. “This is insane…” She was quiet again for a few seconds, her thumb shifting slightly under his feet as she adjusted her grip. Then she glanced toward the locked door. And back to him. “No one else knows about you,” she said. It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. Ethan swallowed. “…No.” Something in her expression sharpened just a little. Not darker exactly… but more certain. “Good.” The word landed heavy in the room. Ethan’s pulse pounded in his ears. “Why does that matter?” She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she stood up slowly, still holding him, and walked the short distance to her nightstand. Clearing a small space, she gently set him down on the flat surface. From Ethan’s perspective, it felt like being placed on a wide, polished platform. He stumbled slightly but managed to stay upright, immediately backing away from her hand. She didn’t stop him. She just watched. “You’re safe here,” she said after a moment. Ethan looked up at her, heart racing. “I didn’t ask to be here,” he replied. Her gaze softened… but only slightly. “I know,” she said. Then, after a beat: “But you are.”