They can fake depression.

They may fake cancer.

They may fake emergencies.

They may fake death.

And may fake mental breakdowns.

They may have 2 main reasons for doing that.

***to elicit sympathy***

When the narcissist finally understands that you're over them because you clearly don't give any thought to them anymore -&- or about anything they got to say,

The narcissist will send you a text claiming that someone died, or that they're dying (usually of cancer.)

And that's to get you to care again, so the narcissist can continue their life's mission of mind F - your life to smithereens.

The second reason they have for doing that, is so you leave them alone.

When the narcissist needs some time off from you so they can invest that time in the person they're dealing with/ talking to behind your back, in order to convince that person that they’re single and in a relationship with them,

The narcissist will claim that they're depressed or in a bad place needing to figure things out.

And that’s to pre-explain the fact that your calls will go unanswered, might you not get the hint that you're not to reach out to the narcissist until they reach out to you