As I continued reading, the pit in my stomach did nothing but grow deeper and deeper, like a kitchen knife being driven ever further into my stomach, widening the gash with the ultimate goal of letting more of its own stagnant quagmire floods in. My heart beat in a steady rhythm, in what felt like in sync with Dahlia at times.
The story beats occurring in the negative space of the narrative reverberate into an all-too-familiar song of fuck I know where this is going and then it swerves onto a desolate road and finds twists in such elegant ways that I was left with an anxiety and uncertainty with every new line that I have rarely felt. Ivy's and Dahlia's relationship benefits heavily from your style of narration and this work could be folded in on itself four times over and I'd still find new nuances.
Your choice of spriteless real-image only visual language also heavily supports the overall tone of the story and really helps draw the reader in. The amusia reveal was done so fucking well and was one of those creative yet super fucking organic twists that you just do not see coming but makes it all feel all to real.
Congrats on the Manipulatonium, you deserve it :3