Cindy grabbed Nevaeh by the wrist and bopped back to Uden Academy. The dining room appeared about them in a blink, but her thoughts were anything but calm.

She dropped into one of the dining chairs, her leg bouncing uncontrollably beneath the table. Her heart hammered against her ribs.

Seeing Luke—alive, or at least something close to it—dragged the memories back.

The infirmary. The blood. The moment Melany died.

"Not much is happening," Mia sighed, slouching in her chair. "Did you find any sun?"

"You know those Ashley followers?" Nevaeh inquired.

"The ugly girl?" Mia asked.

Nevaeh rubbed her arm. "Luke joined Ashley," she said. "And he's still alive... or something like that."

The room went silent. It felt as if the air had been sucked out of the room. Chairs creaked. Someone stopped chewing mid-bite.

No one wanted Luke alive.

Not after everything he'd done.

A boy near the back frowned. "Wait... didn't Greyson kill him?"

"I saw it in plain sight. Greyson killed Luke. Plus he had his noodle arm back," Cindy said.

Esme's invention—some twisted contraption wrapped in barbed wire and scrap metal—had done the job.

It sliced Luke's noodle arm clean off.

The arm should have been rotting on the power plant floor.

A girl buried her face in her scarf. "Can't he just stay dead?"

"Do you think he'll be coming here?" Oscar asked.

"He'd be after Jason, Greyson, Esme, or Scarlett," Nevaeh said.

Cindy wasn't even sure if staying in Uden was safe anymore.

Truthfully, nowhere in Simcoe felt safe anymore.

Not with Luke wandering around.

Not with the storm trapping everyone inside.

"Should we inform someone?" someone asked.

"Nobody to tell around here," Cindy said. "Even if we did, it's not like we could do much."

The once-bustling town of Simcoe had turned into a hollow shell of what it used to be.

Empty houses.

Dark streets.

Most of the people who had stepped up to lead were either dead, gone or too sick to stand.

She wasn't about to take charge—not now, especially with everyone irritating her.

"Simcoe barely has food," Nevaeh sighed, shrugging.

"Are we just supposed to sit around like geese?" another voice asked in annoyance.

"Ducks; it's ducks, not geese," River said awkwardly.

Cindy's mind raced. She couldn't shake the urge to stop Luke and those creations, or whatever. With Nevaeh, she couldn't stop people even if she could reveal their secrets. It was almost as if it spun in her mind as someone taunting them.

"Bye," she said, bopping away in Esme's house.

With Jason gone and her options lowering, she needed to act quickly. She knew there was only one person who could help her track down Ashley—and maybe even kill her.

"Please, Emma!" Esme's voice screeched.

Emma shuffled down the hallway slowly. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and her messy hair stuck out beneath her hood like she hadn't slept in days. She wore red sweatpants and a bulky green sweatshirt that looked twice her size.

"I'm not healing your open wounds," Emma muttered, eyeing her, which made her double-take. "Cindy?"

"What danger is awaiting?" Esme urged, speeding into the room.

"Luke's one of Ashley's psycho followers."

Saying that sentence out loud made her blood boil. He decides it's all fine being one of those followers who are used to doing all of Ashley's dirty work. He didn't care that her sister was dead.

Esme's eyes lit up instantly. "Perfect!" she said brightly. "Then we can kill him."

Emma rubbed her eye with the heel of her hand, her voice rough with exhaustion."You can't physically kill him unless you kill Ashley."

Cindy did have that giant tendency to go after Luke, but that wouldn't get her anywhere. He would just pop onto the ground, leaving him to appear later.

"Then we'll go kill her," Esme said, snapping her fingers.

"Jason's going to do that with Jade and James," Cindy stated.

"I got one of those feelings again," Emma whispered. She pointed at her gut, her fingers shaking. "It started a couple of days ago. It's like that warm feeling you get after drinking hot chocolate."

Esme bounced on her feet. "Maybe you just have muscle cramps," she said. "Or period cramps."

"The storm didn't start for four months. Do you think that would mean the sun won't come back?" Cindy asked.

The mention of the sun and warmth brought a wave of longing over her. She could almost feel the sun on her skin and the laughter in the air as she used go for walks with her family. She could picture herself fooling around on the playground with Melany, carefree and happy. But it wasn't like that anymore.

"It's like I'm connected to something or someone," Emma said, chewing her lip.

Esme tilted her head. "Divina?" she asked.

Divina. The one who used to torture Ashley to the brink of death—and enjoy every second of it.

It brought a sick feeling to Cindy, remembering the stories.

"I don't know. It said that she had completely disappeared, but she might still be somewhere," Emma said.

Maybe Divina is the one who handles all this snow and illness? If that's possible, that thing could stop the virus and darkness. Is that how they finally break free from this nightmare?

"Someone is supposed to break in, right?" Esme inquired, putting on another layer of thick socks.

"Or someone develops them," Emma said, appearing conflicted.

"Let's go kill Ashley, just like at the power plant!" Esme exclaimed.

Cindy grabbed Esme's wrist and closed her eyes. The world snapped away. A second later they stood in the middle of an empty field swallowed by snow and darkness. The wind screamed across the land.

Esme shielded her face as icy wind whipped against her hood. "Where is she?" Esme shouted over the storm.

"I just guessed," Cindy said.

"We should have brought the housewife along," Esme snickered.

"She's probably still numb from Eden," Cindy hissed. "I think she still thinks it's right to control people."

She immediately felt her cheeks rise with heat. The thought of it—the idea that Bella believed in controlling Jason—made Cindy's blood boil. She clenched her fists together as she tried to push her anger down.

"She's acting like one of those girlfriends that checks her boyfriend's phone every five minutes," Esme said.

Cindy squinted through the blinding snowstorm, shielding her eyes with her arm. Everything around was either darkness or thick snow. If this continues for at least a few more days, they will all be dead.

Esme kicked at the snow, her boot sinking deeper. "Why don't we just go to Jason's location?" she asked.

"They're going to Sunny's campground. Ashley might be there, but I think they had other plans," Cindy stated.

"So, we're just going to walk around until we freeze?" Esme asked. "Because I want to beat up Luke again."

Cindy stopped in the middle of the snowy field. Every direction looked the same—endless stretches of white that could easily send them falling. She looked up at the sky to see it still completely black.

The lack of hydropower meant there was no light to help them see through the thickness of the snow. The only people who could produce some light would be Jason and River. Right, that boy could help with actually seeing something.

"I'm going to grab someone," Cindy said.

She landed back at the Uden Academy cafeteria, looking around for the bright light that glowed around a boy who sat in the corner. He flinched when she grabbed his hand and bopped back into the field.

"Highlighter!" Esme called.

"What are we doing?" River asked nervously.

Cindy tapped River's finger. A soft golden glow spread from his skin, slowly lighting the snow around them like a glowing lantern.

It was such a strange ability that she didn't even know what to call it. All she knew was that River glowed like a human lantern.

"Battle mission!" Esme exclaimed, jumping around.

"Are we fighting or finding someone?" River asked, clearly nervous.

"Both!" Esme cheered.

"I can't fight," River mumbled.

"Yes, but you can be the light," Esme said.

The thing about River's light was that it was not just for show—it had usage. The glow illuminated the area around them, making it easier to see what directions looked best. Since Esme was apparently horrible with directions, having him around was helpful.

River's voice trembled. "Is it something deadly?"

"Possibly," Cindy said.

"I'm not murdering people!" he exclaimed.

She didn't expect him to jump the gun, thinking they were actually planning to murder someone.

"I'll hand the murder part," Esme said proudly, sticking a thumb at her chest.

"Are we killing the guy from the power plant?" River asked.

"Technically one, but not the other, unfortunately," Esme sighed.

Since Greyson was on the island River owned, he wouldn't be a problem. It wasn't her intention either to murder him because he was the one who killed Luke.

River furrowed his eyebrows. "Then who are we finding?" he asked.

"Ashley," Cindy said acidly.

"We're going to kill that thing—and maybe free us all," Esme declared.

"We'll kill her to stop this death and nonsense." Cindy spat.

It wasn't just about survival anymore. She was tired of the constant struggle, tired of Bella being annoying, and most of all tired of relentless fear.

Esme's grin peeked out from under her scarf, her eyes lighting up. "I brought a gun just in case."

"Shooting people?" River's voice trembled.

Cindy used to be afraid of violence. Afraid of people killing each other. But things were different now. If someone killed someone you loved, they deserved it.

"This place is filled with death," she muttered bitterly. "It's not a happy occasion."

River hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. "So, we intend to kill the ugly girl?"

Cindy nodded, feeling the butter knife on her. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it'd cause a distraction when Esme shoots.

"If we kill her, this should stop!" Esme exclaimed as she aimed her gun around at the snow.

"And maybe get free of this horrid place," Cindy said.

It honestly wasn't something she had thought about anymore. She'd rather stay in her room not helping out with anything, but Melany wouldn't do that. She'd be helping this virus with Hanna and Emma.

"I find it interesting—not the murder and fighting, but the people," River remarked.

"I'm Speed Demon around here. The fastest one, but not high rank," Esme stated.

"Remember how Emma said she had this weird feeling? What if something worse is coming?" Cindy asked them.

She couldn't even think of what could be worse than this storm. Maybe Ashley would start causing fires again or send a huge tsunami throughout the entire place.

"Worse than a storm that kills?" Esme inquired. "What if Ashley gets stronger than just slaves? We'd get more fighting!"

"It could be all that junk with Divina," Cindy spat. "I can only assume it's terrifying."

Bella's head was still spinning when she finally forced herself upright, hours after Eden's ambush. Her back sagged against the sofa as she let her head fall into the cushion. Her thoughts dragged through her mind like they were trapped in wet cement. All she wanted to do was sleep.

Why was Eden so insistent on forcing her to change? Bella couldn't wrap her head around it. She was doing everything to protect Jason. Everyone else could deal with whatever was happening out there.

A knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts. She groaned and pushed herself to her feet. Her legs wobbled beneath her, muscles rubbery and weak. She steadied herself against the wall as she shuffled toward the door, wincing with every step.

When she opened it, the cold blew in. Mark stood there, snow covering his snowsuit.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

Bella nodded and stepped aside. She stumbled slightly as she went back into the living room, her legs still unsteady. Mark followed, his eyes scanning around the room before looking at her.

"Do you know when Jason's getting back?" he asked.

"Why?" she mumbled.

By now, she was completely over anyone else asking her that question. Let them wonder when he returned—it wasn't her problem. Even when he did return, she probably wouldn't tell them.

Mark sat down on the sofa. "Zane's sick, so I'm stepping up to handle things for now," he said.

"Why not get Nelson or Nevaeh?"

"Nelson wants to stay with Party Culture, and Nevaeh's off at Uden," Mark explained. "Ilya's got a drug addiction, and Esme's off with Cindy."

"Have you thought of anything else?" Bella asked.

Mark let out a sigh, dusting snow off his coat. "I'm just going to see how this plays out."

Bella knew Mark could handle it himself. She had no interest in carrying vomit buckets or chasing kids out of the snow.

"I'll just keep doing what I'm doing," Bella stated.

She was determined to keep focusing on the fact that it's safer inside and everyone around is hypocritical. People could tell her she was being controlling, but they were all wrong.

"Cool," he replied awkwardly.

The door banged open again, icy air swirling as Yara and Talia stumbled in, their cheeks pink from windburn.

"The snowblower is stuck again!" Yara shouted.

Mark was on his feet in a second. "Let me know when he returns," he said quickly before hurrying out.

People kept showing up at the house; asking if she had any idea when Jason would be back. Every time, she gave them the same answer, it was one rooted in her own uncertainty. If he was gone for too long, it wasn't just the risk of him getting hurt—it was the possibility of someone taking him like Cindy.

She glanced down at her own hands, the pain still lingering. The burns were gruesome, though they had fine stopped bleeding. The skin was raw, the edges cracked and swollen. She already knew they'd leave scars.

She clenched her fists, wincing at the stiffness.

If she could get Emma to heal the rest of her hands, she could go out and look for Jason herself. That thought hit her like a lightning bolt, and she stood so fast she nearly lost her balance.

She scrambled to pull on her winter gear as she shoved them into wool mittens. Walking was a struggle—her legs felt like jelly—but she pushed through, making her way to the infirmary.

Bella yanked open the heavy church door and rushed inside. The infirmary wasn't large, but it was overflowing. Bodies lay side by side across the floor—some moaning in pain, others frighteningly still.

Her eyes darted around the room searching for Emma.

Finally, over Bryce's shoulder, Bella spotted her. Emma's eyes were closed, her face calm. Relief washed over Bella, but it was short-lived.

"Seriously, Emma," Bryce sighed. "How many times have you passed out?" He turned to Bella, a half-smirk on his lips. "Hello, housewife. Your soldier isn't here."

"I know that. I need the rest of my hands healed," Bella insisted.

Emma stirred, her voice barely a whisper. "Here, let me down."

Bella's heart skipped. This was perfect. If Emma could heal her hands before going to sleep, she could slip away quickly. She had to find Jason and bring him back.

"You go home to sleep, then come back and pass out? Nope." Bryce declined.

"It's fine," Emma said as she attempted to push herself down but didn't move. "Bryce..."

He didn't put her down but rather walked towards Bella. "The doctor is exhausted."

"Just to heal the pain, at least," Bella pestered.

Emma had already fallen asleep on Bryce's shoulder, her breathing slow and steady.

Bella reached out and grabbed Emma's hand, trying to precess it against her own. Bryce slapped her hand away instantly. It made her whimper in pain while holding them.

"The doctor is going home, so leave her to rest. Just ask Hanna for something," he stated.

Hanna stared at Bryce, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he walked past her. Bella noticed he seemed to be one who often made snarky remarks, but she had to admit he was attractive.

"I'm bringing her home. The housewife needs something for her hands," Bryce said, leaving with Emma.

That didn't go according to how she pictured it at all. She still had to find some way to get her hands healed. Even an Advil or some numbing medication, like Eden's supernatural ability.

"Come," Hanna mumbled.

Bella walked carefully around the people that were scattered across the floor. She noticed Ilya was still in the infirmary on a dirty towel, mumbling to herself. She gripped her ankle, almost sending her flying to the floor.

"Do you have sleep medication? I need medication," Ilya begged; all of the colour in her skin seemed drained. Her eyes looked like they hadn't slept in months, her entire body trembling.

"I think I have something," Bella said, reaching inside her coat pocket. Bending down, she went to give Ilya the small pill, but Hanna slapped her hand hard.

"This isn't a petting zoo. If you know, inside that mind of yours, people develop drug addictions," Hanna said harshly, grabbing the pill from her hand.

Ilya's body trembled as she pushed herself up, her hand reaching out toward Hanna. "Please," she begged. "I need it to take care of the children."

Hanna crossed her arms with a frown. "I've told your sister that you won't be back for a bit," she said.

"No, I'll go back," Ilya mumbled.

"No," Hanna ordered, shoving Ilya to the ground.

Bella followed her to a small shelf of medicine. The shelf was almost bare—just a few scattered bottles and half-used tubes of cream that shoved into the corner. It looked more like a forgotten junk drawer than a proper medicine shelf.

Hanna glanced over her shoulder, her eyes narrowing. "Are you doing something?" she asked.

"No," Bella said.

She wouldn't tell anyone she had a plan. She was going to find Jason—alone. The thought of going solo made her stomach twist with knots. Ever since people kept leaving, being alone felt like staring into a dark, endless abyss.

She felt a sharp grip on her wrist. She winced, pulling back instinctively. Hanna was standing in front of her, shoving a pill in her hand.

"You get one," she said.

"Can't Emma heal them?" Bella pleaded.

"She could, but she'd probably vomit," Hanna implied. "Just keep your gloves on, and you'll be fine."

"Fine," Bella snapped, turning to leave the infirmary.

She waddled her way to the house she shared with Jason. Inside, she searched the closet, pulling out a small duffel bag. She shoved warm clothes into it without folding them.

As she zipped up the bag, she pressed her lips together.

There was a small car outside, but she had no idea where Jason went. Rumours had been spreading that he headed out of town, but nobody could pinpoint where. Not that it mattered much—she would find him with or without a map. Sure, it was dark, and the car looked like it might possibly blow over, but she was not about to let that stop her.

Opening the cupboard, she grabbed a single can of beans, her teeth clattering from the cold. She shoved the canned beans in the small bag. She layered on warm clothes, her gaze lingering on the house.

She would find Jason.

So he could protect her.

Scarlett brushed her brittle hair, eyes catching her reflection in the mirror. Her skin now glowed with freshness of regular showers, and the sharp angles of her face and bones had softened, hinting a at healthier frame.

She reached for a fluffy robe hanging on the door. The soft fabric warmed her immediately—and it wasn't just the robe that felt comforting.

She pushed her damp hair back, slipped into soft slippers, and opened the bathroom door. The room was empty as she rolled up her sleeve, revealing the scrape from when the machinery had fallen.

Standing before the large mirror, she lifted her long hair, exposing the raw, tender skin at the back of her neck. The gaps in her hair were reminders of the explosion Luke had triggered—and the heavy machinery Greyson had somehow managed to lift.

Running her fingers over the tender skin, she winced slightly. At least her hair covered the worst of it.

She sighed, letting her hair fall back into place, and glanced at the clock. It was already 11 p.m.

Thirsty, she opened the bedroom door and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

As she poured herself a glass, she heard a faint sound.

"Do you think Greyson would like knowing you were spying on me?" Scarlett asked, eyebrows raised.

Preston appeared near the fridge, a cookie dangling from his hand.

"He doesn't have to know," he said.

"Yes, but I'd tell him. You know where that got you last time," Scarlett implied.

"I bet Simcoe is in a wreck. Ugly Ashley and Greyson are gone," Preston said, spinning on the bar stool.

"Sucks for them," Scarlett spat.

She didn't want to imagine the horror. Not just Simcoe, but Uden Academy without Greyson, along with a pothead named Mia, taking command.

Everyone knew that Mia was a complete stoner. Not just Mia, but Nevaeh and River being her wingmen. Nevaeh, who seems to actually look up to her, while River seems to fear the people around.

"I'm glad we have heat," Preston said as he stopped spinning in his chair. "Do you think he will want to leave?"

"Probably not," Scarlett sighed.

She knew Greyson might find some way, but she highly doubted it. The only reason she could see would be maybe to become the overall leader.

Scarlett liked life on the island. It took away the stressors of death, illness, and scheming, where the two of them had always used others. Somehow, despite their plans, they still ended up as an imperfect couple.

"Besides no cell service and all that, we've got the dream life," Preston said as he hopped down from the stool.

After drinking some water, she turned and walked out of the kitchen and upstairs.

She went back into her own bathroom, where she shut the door and flicked the light switch on. Tilting her head back and forth, it still ached from the movement.

She headed to the sunroom. Outside, the wind blew so violently that it felt like she could hear the windows rattling.

In the distance, the frozen lake was barely visible, its surface obscured by swirling snow. She squinted; she could see faint fragments of landscape.

"I doubt this will end," she mumbled as she looked through the telescope.

There was nothing to be seen but blowing snow.

Scarlett wondered if, when it stopped, they'd still have snow. It had reached the heights of the roofs that they just drove on piles.

She pushed her dark hair in front and narrowed her eyes.

Could she be redeemed if she could get herself to change somehow, in her twisted way? She used people for experiments, and even what had happened to David.

Chills ran down her spine as she thought of almost dying. It was all because she had lured David to watch his crush vanish.

Scarlett went back to her room, where Greyson stood, pacing and biting his pinky nail.

"Have you come to take a bath?" she mocked. "I'm pretty sure that's in the master bedroom."

"No," he said, looking at the floor.

Scarlett walked towards him and stood with her arms crossed. Greyson stared back up, their bodies inches apart.

"Are you not going to swim for once?" she asked mockingly.

"Uh..." Greyson started.

"Have you found those words?"

She wasn't sure if Greyson was capable of saying those three words. Scarlett may know love a bit more than him, but she wanted to hear those words in some twisted way.

"I..." he started. "I couldn't live without you. I could never, because..." Greyson seemed to draw a blank.

"Because?" Scarlett was surprised that he had the capability to say more.

"You're the only person I need in my life," Greyson said.

She knew he probably couldn't find any more words now, which was enough for her.

Scarlett grabbed his head in her hands and kissed him hard. She had no thoughts other than the desire coursing through her body.

She pulled back just enough to catch her breath.

She undid the rope that looped around the white robe and let it fall to the ground.

Greyson's eyes widened as she pushed him onto the large bed, watching him fumble to get his clothes off.

Grabbing his wrist, he looked up at her in confusion.

"I'll do everything," she started, her head hovering over his. "Just like last time."

She drew his mouth to her own and kissed him again.

Even if Greyson hadn't said those words directly due to his fear, this would have been the most she might have gotten now. All of this would have happened eventually, at some point.

Things are getting steamy between Greyson and Scarlett.

Do you think something worse is coming?
-Lexi