Kapitel 40: I think it's all somehow connected.

As I gasped for air, the grip of the panic attack tightened around me. It felt like invisible hands were squeezing my chest, making it hard to breathe. My heart pounded wildly, its rapid beats echoing in my ears like a relentless drum. The world around me seemed to spin and warp, a disorienting carousel that wouldn't stop. I could hear Vanessa's voice, distant and muffled, as if she were speaking to me from the other end of a long tunnel.

"Marlene, stay with me, breathe," Vanessa urged.

I heard Juan's voice, strained with anger and worry. "No, Vanessa! She's already overloaded with substances from her implant. Anything more could be dangerous."

My mind raced uncontrollably, each thought colliding with the next. The room felt like it was closing in on me, the walls inching nearer every second. I struggled to focus on anything but the overwhelming sense of dread that filled me.