As Christmas Eve approached, Emma realized she had to break free from Ariana's grasp. But every time she tried to resist, she felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her, and Ariana's voice would whisper, "Relax, Emma. Let go."
It started with small things. She'd find herself staring blankly at her notes during sessions, unable to recall the suggestions she'd planned to make. Her usually precise handwriting devolved into illegible squiggles. And her patients began to report vivid, disturbing dreams.
As the days passed, Emma found herself increasingly enthralled by Ariana, who seemed to be exerting some kind of mind control over her. Emma's sessions with other patients began to blur together, and she started to experience strange visions: a world of glittering ice and snow, with Ariana's voice whispering in her ear.
On Christmas morning, Emma awoke feeling...different. The haze had lifted, and she was left with a sense of clarity, as well as a strange, tingling sensation in her fingers. She knew that she had come close to losing herself, but in the end, her own inner strength had saved her.