[ The Doll's tension slowly begins to ease after Nathanial takes a seat beside her. She opens her eyes and watches the fire, listening to the simmering water in the kettle; it relieves her mind of the things she has just relayed.

His question is given some thought, her brow furrowing as she tries to pinpoint what causes her the most distress. ]

When the nightmare fades, I am left with a heaviness that lingers on for days... A darkness shrouds my mind; ensnares it. It is a melancholy that I have never known, a wound that is deep and bleeding.

[ She sighs. ]

Guilt, perhaps...