Despite losing control of her body, Ashley could still hear the words around her. She didn't want people to die or for that to become the expectation of everything that happened. She felt envy, but she would never wish anyone dead.

Ashley had endured painful experiences—she had witnessed people being thrown about as if they were toys.

Goddess had humiliated her in ways the cruellest bullies never could. It felt as if she were being physically torn apart, her hair yanked from her scalp and her skin turning crimson red.

God hated being treated that way, and Goddess was just as evil.

Staring around in the darkness, she was not just a faint echo in God's ear; she was the girl she had always been. The one full of fears and hopes, with memories in her mind.

Her fingers scraped against the rough bark, splinters digging into her palms. She rested her forehead against the frozen trunk, the sting mixing with a dull throb in her head.

The world beyond the trees blurred with a dark haze that made her stomach twist.

"Are you defying me?"

She didn't answer, but she could still hear the voice in her mind. God was aware the mutant child placed fear within this place.

Ashley had always loved children. She refused to let this one become another victim.

She needed to warn someone. If the child survived, then others might too. The thought sent a tremor through her body.

As she gazed around the dark highway filled with snow, she hesitated before stepping on it. The child's presence had somehow melted a large amount of the snowdrifts around her. The snow piled up to her knees, but the baby was causing it to decrease.

God hadn't stripped away her knowledge. To it, she was nothing more than a pimple.

She staggered with every step toward town.

Even if people shot at her, it wouldn't matter. Death was a mercy she no longer had.

The whole thing twisted around in her mind: she needed to warn everyone about the child and that the mother should go where it's safe.

In just six months, God would possess every ability. It was important to spread this news; they needed to understand the danger or risks that could lead to death.

Ashley stumbled.

Her legs gave way, and she crashed on her back. The impact knocked the air from her lungs.

She stared up at the invisible barrier sealing them inside. She had created it with a desperate thought. It all started when some girls began bullying her; she wished for them to disappear, and they did.

Pushing herself back to her feet, Ashley continued down the road, even though everything around her was a blur. She squinted into endless darkness. The storm had stolen every light the world had once known.

"You won't win," she spat.

Goddess was cruel, murderous, and mocking. It doesn't want God alive, and neither does Ashley. She saw something hurtling towards her out of the darkness. The impact was sudden and brutal. A searing pain ripped through her body, slicing her into tiny pieces.

"Whoa, it actually worked," Esme gasped, holding up a length of bloodied barbed wire.

"You need to understand that God will have all its powers soon," Ashley rasped.

"I thought you were God?" Esme asked.

Ashley watched as her dismembered body began to mould back together, the severed limbs reconnecting and the large wounds closing. Only bloody scratches remained, dripping down her body.

She hated this ability. She would have chosen death over this.

"That child has to be born, or you all won't survive," Ashley said.

"Is Lukey dead? I can't find his body parts anywhere," Esme urged.

Luke was tGod's sadist—its weapon for revenge. Ashley hated him. Hated what he'd done to her back at Uden.

"I don't know," Ashley said. "The baby poses a greater threat to God. Not from bringing the light back, but the child could bring things into this bubble."

Esme began to wrap the barbed wire around her body quickly, each twist of the sharp metal. Ashley knew that Esme might struggle to believe her, after all the harm God had been doing to her own body. She could feel the tightness from the wire around her body as tears filled her eyes.

"What kinds of things?" Esme asked, still holding a small end of the long wire in her hand.

"Buildings. People. Supplies. Anything it sees, it could bring inside," Ashley choked out.

"Why don't you just take it down then?" Esme asked.

"God controls it now... because we're one," Ashley started. "The baby could let you see the outside world. It will be faster than you."

"Nobody is faster than me," Esme gloated, grinning."I don't know if you're lying, but whatever." She rushed off back to town.

Ashley lay tangled in wire that cut her skin every time she moved, feeling tears slide down her cheeks. This wasn't how she imagined her life to turn out. If this baby helps everything with the goddess, Ashley will be staring death in the face.

A small part of her wished she could have seen it—a baby growing up with powers even God or Goddess didn't have.

Ashley understood that the baby would have amazing abilities: the capacity to manipulate matter and possibly restore light.

She could feel God's fear of the baby—buried deep beneath its control. It thought it could dominate, rule, and consume. But she knew the truth: it was scared.

Emma probably felt God's anxiety too, especially at the thought of someone powerful coming back into the mix. God didn't even know Ashley was aware of the facts. She knew the baby had mind control, which would cause followers to vanish. It could destroy God's minions with a simple raise of the hand.

Ashley didn't know the mother or father of that child. She simply yearned for a way out to escape this wreckage of her own body. Let God keep this awful body. She wondered if the baby would be able to separate them like a possession.

"You have to stop God," Ashley whispered. She hoped the baby could hear those words and not just those of the mother and father.

It did hear them. God was mentioned that the baby could hear. God needed to die, and it could stop it. It heard the voice of Ashley and then heard another voice. It was so faint that the baby could barely hear it.

"God wants your mother and father dead."

No, unforgivable. The baby wasn't going to let God kill its parents. Somehow, it felt like anger deep inside, and Ashley could feel it. The baby's wrath, without being born, for those that could feel it, became immense. It knew words and intentions, but it still wasn't a child born.

"Goddess," Ashley whispered. Hearing that laughing voice echo through her mind, she pressed her lips together. She then heard words that were neither from God nor Goddess.

"You can't hide from me."

Jason woke slowly in an unfamiliar home.

As his vision cleared, he found himself sprawled across a long, boxy sofa. A dark television loomed in front of him. His boots lay abandoned on the stained carpet beneath his feet.

He rolled on his side and thudded to the ground, staring up at the white ceiling.

He didn't want to get up. As long as he stayed on the floor, he didn't have to pretend everything was okay.

Bella had left him that left a hollow ache inside his chest. To make matters worse, Greyson was back in town. Everything was spiralling out of control, and no matter how hard Jason tried, he couldn't stop the chaos unfolding.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway.

Cindy appeared in the living room, arms folded, watching him for a second before speaking

"You fell asleep. In case you forgot," she said dryly. "Zane's got everything lined up in town. Apparently, they're heading to Sunny's soon and loading things up. People are still trying to figure out the next move."

Jason studied Cindy for a moment and had to admit that she was pretty, even with the eye scar.

"What's that?" Jason asked, nodding toward the small book tucked under her arm.

She slid the pregnancy book from beneath her arm.

"I'm taking these with us," she said. "We'll probably be gone for months, and I don't see Wikipedia teaching Scarlett how to be a mother."

"You're helping her?"

"Or would you rather Ashley kill the child?" Cindy's tone was sharp. "It's supposed to be stronger than Divina and Ashley combined."

Jason's chest tightened as conflicting emotions stormed through. His stepsister was out there, trying to kill what might be his niece or nephew, while he and others scrambled to keep the child alive.

"And people are packing?" he asked.

"Yes," she let out with a sigh.

Jason stumbled to his feet, pushing his hair back. He picked up his hat he'd knocked off during his sleep, and placed it back on his head. With a grunt, he slung his heavy bag over his shoulder.

"We should get going," Cindy said, holding out her arm. "We're going to the plaza, where everyone is probably waiting for you. Uden Academy people are already there."

Jason hadn't realized he'd been sleeping for hours. He knew he needed to get back to town, to face all the chaos that was unfolding around him, but all he wanted was to sleep the day away.

"You can't just sleep your feelings away and hope the housewife will show up," Cindy snapped, planting her hand on her hip. "You're supposed to lead people through this mess. Zane can't do it all on his own."

Cindy's words hit hard. She was right. Jason's had let himself be consumed by distractions—Bella's letter, Ashley's intentions—while Zane had been left to bear the weight of everything else.

Jason nodded slowly and stepped closer to her, his eyes locked on her.

Bella's letter still haunted him. Ashley's threats hadn't stopped echoing in his head. None of this was fair, and for a moment he wanted to stop thinking all together.

He tilted her chin gently, hesitating for a second.

Their lips met—soft at first—then the emotions hit him all at once. His hand brushed her cheek, and for a moment, everything else faded.

Reality slammed back into him: the baby, Greyson, Bella, Ashley.

His chest tightened, and he pulled back, breathless. Panic clawed at him, making his stomach twist. He could feel Cindy watching him, calm, waiting, like she expected this.

"Back to town," she said, extending her arm again.

They teleported in the middle of the plaza.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have done that," Jason muttered.

"I'd be willing to do that again," Cindy said, already walking away, "but figure out your own head first."

The moment people spotted him, conversations broke apart. Several hurried over at once, questions flying before he could answer them.

Where were they going? Was there food? Why was Greyson in charge again? Where Bella was?

"Everyone has almost made their decisions," Zane said, approaching him with a grim look.

Jason scanned the crowd, taking in who had joined.

Scarlett stood out immediately—unexpected, but not surprising given her mutant pregnancy.

Stick and Nevaeh were there too, though he suspected Nevaeh just wanted gossip.

His gaze shifted to Mia, who was gleefully leaping over snowbanks while Bryce shoved her into another mound.

Nearby, Eden packed a massive pile of snow and threw it at Will. He retaliated instantly, tackling her into the drift.

They weren't Greyson or Luke, but they were chaotic in their own way.

Jason had heard they'd left campus several times, he didn't even want to ask what they did.

"One moment," he called, spotting Eden standing triumphantly atop a snowdrift.

"Welcome back, soldier. I haven't seen you around," Eden chimed with a smile. "Then again, I've been quite busy."

"About that... do you know what happened?" Jason asked, his voice tight.

Jason knew this wasn't going to be good, especially with the way Mia and Will were laughing, their voices full of dark amusement. He had heard some details about Bella's situation, but Eden was the one who had actually witnessed it.

"She left," Eden sneered. "Do you honestly I care where she went? Didn't Bryce tell you? I drugged her myself, but she still went away."

Jason's stomach sank.

Bella was really gone.

"Now, go figure out your own mess," Eden snarled. "I don't care where she is, and it's not my problem to find her."

"Don't look so upset, soldier," Mia slurred, her words slow. "It's a better decision."

Jason walked back to Zane, his head spinning.

"Have you figured out a way for transportation?" he asked, needing something concrete to focus on.

Zane rubbed his eyes.

"Each side gets three cars," he said. "Greyson mentioned something about people swapping sides, but there'll have to be a hearing of some kind."

Jason wasn't in the mood to fight with his brother. If they could figure out some semblance of peace, at least for a while, that would help.

"People found seeds, so once the food runs out, we'll start gardening at both Sunny's and Simcoe," Zane started, rubbing the back of his head. "But, with Ilya's overdose, it's cast a shadow over the daycare. Layla's a mess, and the kids are all over the place."

Ilya's overdose had completely blindsided him. Maybe someone from the daycare could step up, but Jason had no idea who could fill her role.

"Emma's not picking sides," Zane continued. "She knows both Scarlett and Greyson can hear the voice of the baby."

Most people knew about the baby, though some had only heard rumours.

"River's staying with Greyson," Zane added. "We'll be clearing snow and setting up alternatives for heat."

Esme came speeding toward them, nearly knocking someone over.

"Ashley wasn't God or whatever," she blurted, breathless. "Like Ashley before the purple substance. Apparently, Ashley isn't the one controlling this all, but it's that god. This baby could bring us food, water, and everything we need."

Actual food was a rarity in this place. There wasn't just a shortage of beans or canned fruit, but real sustenance. If this baby could somehow bring in a whole store of supplies, maybe things wouldn't be so dire. But then again, this place was hell.

"Is this terror? Scarlett's child is who we fear?" Jason asked, returning his gaze to Scarlett, who was discussing something with Cindy.

"Ashley's the terror, but I think the child brings terror to her," Esme said, looking lost.

"Yeah, we're definitely not telling Greyson about this," Jason remarked.

"We didn't plan on it," Zane said with a slight smile.

"I can't find Lukey, which I'm pretty sure is bad," Esme said. "I checked the spots where I buried him, and his body's gone. Maybe he disintegrates like Ashley."

"Probably because he's one of those followers," Zane stated.

"I'll beat him up when I see him again," Esme said with a grin, punching the air.

Jason rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay... we should probably start loading stuff?" His voice wavered slightly. "But... what about food? We can't garden yet, and I don't even know if we have enough for everyone."

Zane raised an eyebrow. "Mark's leading the ice fishing group with people who actually know what they're doing. Not sure where he is."

Jason swallowed. He hadn't talked to Mark in ages, not since before he left for Sunny's. They used to be best friends before, but now they barely spoke.

"We're going to build some stuff in the camping area. Should be enough space, right?" Zane asked, glancing around.

"There should be enough room for people to share tents," Jason said." We can figure out the rest when we get there."

"Mark's crew handles the deliveries between Sunny's and Simcoe," Zane added. "We'd have to do some scouting if we wanted to find more."

No one knew when the snow would melt, but they might still be able to light fires—though there weren't many left to begin with.

Bella had been wandering for what felt like days before she stumbled across a small cabin. It sat beyond the ruins of the power plant, hidden at the end of an overgrown path.

When she stepped inside, she dropped her bag in a heap. Her fingers fumbled with the straps before she finally let go.

The cabin was sparsely furnished, with wooden shelves stretching across bare walls and cabinets that seemed to mock her hunger with their emptiness.

Her eyes flickered with a brief spark of hope when she spotted a box of fruit snacks nestled in the back of one of the cabinets. She ripped it open with hesitation, shoving the small packages in her mouth.

Collapsing against the dark green, she sank onto the uneven carpet, the sense of solitude settling heavily in her chest.

No one was coming.

Her breathing quickened.

She listened.

Nothing.

She was alone.

Why did her body shake at the thought of being alone? Was it because Jason wasn't here to protect her anymore? Or was it crushing her certainty that no one would come for her—that she was truly invisible to the world now?

She set the box of fruit snacks down on the rickety table, hands trembling, and clicked the flashlight on.

Pale light crawled across peeling wallpaper.

She switched it off.

Darkness swallowed the room again.

If she was going to survive here for months, she'd need more than just light.

A wood-fired stove sat in the corner. She grabbed a few logs of wood, but then paused, the uncertainty creeping in. She had no idea how to use it.

"Right, I could look it up," she said, grabbing her phone from her bag, but she realized her phone didn't turn on.

She hung her head, staggered back over, grabbed the lighter, and stared at it.

Bella didn't want to burn down the cabin—or herself, for that matter. But she needed warmth. She was torn between fear of the fire and the primal need for something to push the coal back.

"Okay, let's try this," she whispered to herself.

She stared into the empty stove for nearly a minute before stuffing in far too much kindling. It looked wrong.

"Whatever."

She struck the lighter.

The first spark caught, then sputtered out. She held her breath, staring at the stubborn ember and willing it to grow.

A tiny flame sputtered to life, flickering briefly before she hurriedly shut the stove door.

She had forgotten that stoves like this existed. Her mother's old lectures about surviving the bitter cold in the Yukon cold echoed her mind. Yet here she was, staring at one, realizing she might have to rely on it to stay alive.

She opened the fridge, her fingers brushing the cold metal, and scanned its sparse contents of wilted fruits and a few bottles of water.

She picked up an apple.

It was soft and she turned it over.

No mold.

"Please don't kill me."

Time had dissolved in a haze. Days and nights bled together, stretching endlessly, until the calendar meant nothing. Almost five months had passed since adults vanished, but it felt like a lifetime.

"Can anyone survive having a baby here?" she muttered, shaking her head. "No one's stupid enough to try with everything falling apart."

Her eyes drifted to the window, fogged with condensation, and she wondered what had stopped the storm. She hadn't heard much of the gossip lately, though she wasn't sure she cared to.

"How is she the bad influence, but not Eden?" Bella muttered, sitting against the couch by the fire. "Eden was involved with a gang, threatened her, and drugs. I was the golden girl who was pretty, good grades, and presenting awards with confidence. Then this chaos started, and everything started going south."

Scarlett was proof enough that Bella had lost her shine. Every glance from a boy seemed to linger on Scarlett, leaving Bella feeling invisible in comparison. She hated the way it tightened her chest, the sting of being second.

And then there was Jason, now a leader in this fractured world, carrying weight Bella had once imagined was hers. Her own position as the golden girl felt like a distant memory.

Bella shook her head.

"I'm not jealous."

She stared at the fire.

"Then why does it hurt?"

She hated that thought, but the truth burned: she envied, even Cindy in her way, and hated herself for it.

She knew that Cindy liked Jason, and for some reason, that gnawed at her more than it should. She couldn't shake the suspicion that it was fuelling her jealousy. It frustrated her, too—she wanted to see Jason, but she couldn't. She had been using him for own benefit, just like Greyson or Scarlett had.

"I'm no better than Scarlett," she whispered.

Her thoughts pressed against her skull like a vice, threatening to crack in two. She wondered if Emma ever felt this suffocating weight—how she managed to spiral while holding everything together.

Somehow, despite the chaos, Emma always had someone to catch her.

Bella didn't.

Not now anyway.

"Even Emma has someone," she whispered.

Emma had been used, but she still had people helping her. There was Esme, Bryce, Hanna and Mark who were always there to help her when she broke down.

No one had given Emma a nickname for being fragile.

So why did Bella deserve one?

"I'm not a housewife, Nevaeh," Bella spat, her words laced with frustration. "Housewife and soldier from war."

Nevaeh had earned her reputation as the gossip girl—the one who could dig up secrets and spread rumours faster than anyone else. When this started, she used to charge for those secrets. Now, though, she traded them for food.

Bella barely remembered Nevaeh from school, just a few scattered memories of being classmates in science. What stood out most was how nosey and sly Nevaeh had seemed, especially during Bella's drama with Teagan.

"Why am I jealous?" she whispered. "I was never like this..."

Maybe it was because every guy seemed drawn to Scarlett without hesitation, while Bella barely registered at all. Or maybe it was the fact that she didn't have powers like Jason or Greyson—nothing to stand out in a world that had shifted so drastically.

When Party Culture finally opened its doors, everyone had expected Bella to join in, but she hadn't.

"Not the golden girl or housewife," she whispered.

Scarlett had a way of making Bella feel inferior, and that was something Bella hated to admit to herself. Scarlett didn't care if she was called a bitch or a slut. She wore those labels like they meant nothing.

Scarlett had always used boys to get what she wanted, her seductive charm a means to an end, all while being in love with Greyson. It was twisted, in the way it worked. Bella could tell when she and Jason would go on their wild adventures.

"Can I love Jason to that degree?" Bella whispered.

She loved him—she truly did—but there was always that biting fear that he wouldn't come back, that he wouldn't survive when he went off with Esme or Jade.

"Am I really jealous of Greyson and Scarlett?" Bella laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "That's insane. They've used people and maybe each other, but Greyson would do anything for Scarlett."

Is that the difference? Greyson wasn't the type to run around setting conflict. He always had a plan. It wasn't just about securing things for himself—it was for Scarlett too.

Bella laughed once.

"I'm not jealous of Scarlett, but because she isn't alone."

Scarlett wasn't alone and neither was Greyson. They were still on the island Greyson had taken her to.

That left Jason to carry the everything.

Now Bella only had a cabin.

"What is wrong with me?"

She wanted Jason all to herself. The desire burned inside her, pushing her to keep him close, to find ways to hold him by the side. It was the only strategy that seemed to make sense now.

"Such a selfish bitch, just like Scarlett," Bella sighed.

Isn't that who she'd always been? The girl who wanted to be older, to skip lines and dive into adulthood faster than everyone else. Her first real party? Seventh grade. That's where she had her first drink.

Bella had always wanted to be seen as the pretty girl who shone with confidence. She didn't want to be the anxious girlfriend or the wounded girl risking her life.

That's why she was here alone—not just to escape Eden's taunts. For once, she was choosing isolation, cutting herself off from needing people.

If someone came to attack, she'd find weapons. She wasn't helpless. She was normal, just like most trapped in this bubble.

She had to change herself again, but Bella didn't know how. Maybe she'd come out cold and uncaring, like Cindy. Or manage chaos like Zane. Or even turn out like Eden, in her twisted, Catholic way.

"I don't know who I am..." Bella murmured, tears sliding down her cheeks.

She was alone, and the old Bella could never stand being alone. It still scared her—what if something happened? What if Ashley came and attacked her, leaving her to die like so many others?

She reached beside the couch and wrapped her hands around the fireplace poker.
It was heavier than she expected.

"I can do this," she whispered.

The words sounded convincing, but she wasn't.

The real Ashley was able to speak. It looks like there is a lot more harm coming.

Does this mean Scarlett's child is actually saving them?
-Lexi