The sound of his voice calling her name has her suffocating a scream, dragging it out as a ragged exhale as she kicks off, stumbling as trailing rivulets of the acid works its way through to her bare skin.

Don't look back. Don't stop. Go, urges the primeval part of her brain, concerned far more with survival, continued survival, than her pithy emotions, strangling them into silence. He-- the thing was still talking to her, its subvocals thrumming all the intent not mentioned in its words. Think of it as anything but him.

She pushes, banking the walls sharply, bursting into the antehall of her own offices at full sprint. The front door, at least, was already unlocked — an unexpected blessing of her encounter with Chara. If she could time it just right, she could lift the shade of Nihlus, holding him there — and be long gone before her dropped.