The island might have been paradise, but pregnancy symptoms weren't part of the luxury package.

Scarlett knew that whatever mutant life was growing inside her wasn't behaving normally. The pregnancy tested insisted it was already two weeks developed, even though it should have been a week old.

She stepped out of the bathroom and found Greyson standing at the wide window, staring out into the darkness.

"You're only going to see darkness," she said.

"Just observing," he replied without looking away.

"I don't think that's going to change anytime soon."

At least she wasn't noticeably showing yet, but something about this baby felt different. The test said two weeks, but her body told her it had barely begun.

If this was truly a mutant, maybe it was growing faster than nature intended.

"Let's go eat," she said.

He turned, smirking.

"Food."

They headed downstairs, both still in their robes. The kitchen was empty, which meant Tumbles and Preston were probably raiding the pantry again.

Cindy was around, always popping to nag her about safety or weird pregnancy tips. She'd even bopped back to town to ask Hanna for information.

Scarlett didn't want help. She didn't want to go back at all. Especially not with Luke back as one of those followers. He wouldn't just harm her but the baby too.

Greyson glanced her way. "Why do you keep getting sick in the morning?"

"Probably a flu," she said dismissively.

He frowned but didn't press.

Pregnancy was the last thing on his mind. They were only fifteen, and it wasn't something either of them planned.

Unless it's those reality television shows about teenage mothers.

"The town sounds like it's falling apart," he said.

"That's their problem," she said flatly, picking at a stale muffin.

"Jason's not doing a great job," Greyson said, smirking again. "Not that I'm surprised. I was always the better leader."

She raised an eyebrow. "Not everyone can match your charm."

He laughed, low and amused.

Scarlett finished the muffin and stood. But before she could escape, Cindy appeared in the doorway and tugged her upstairs.

Cindy pushed open the bedroom door to her room and slammed it shut behind them, letting out a sharp sigh.

She held a thick book.

"I found a book on pregnancy in the basement."

Scarlett crossed her arms. "I don't need help with my baby."

Cindy narrowed her eyes. "And what happens when Greyson notices?"

"He finds out," Scarlett said simply.

Cindy sat on the edge of the bed, flipping open the book.

"You should at least understand what's happening. According to this... after implantation, it should only be around a week developed."

Scarlett frowned. "My test said two weeks."

"Right," Cindy murmured. "But that shouldn't be possible unless it's a mutant."

Scarlett raised her eyebrows. "You're going to ask when it happened?"

Cindy hesitated. "When did implantation happen?"

"Last week."

Cindy looked up. "Then maybe your baby's altering its own growth rate, like how James or Stick can change their muscle mass."

"It's not possible," Scarlett said.

But deep down, she wasn't sure. Her ranking ability was never wrong, and every time she held her hand on her stomach, she felt that pulse of medium-rank power that shouldn't exist.

"People are guessing about the storm," Cindy said softly. "Nobody knows what stopped it. I'm not saying you have to confess, but Greyson should know."

"He'll figure it out," Scarlett said.

"Scarlett, I know deep down inside, in some twisted part of your heart, that you're good. Are you keeping it secret because it's a mutant?" Cindy inquired.

"Maybe," Scarlett said.

It's not like she could ask any adults about how to be a teenage mother since her mother barely took care of her after the divorce.

"I think you need to go back to town," Cindy suggested.

"I enjoy my life here," Scarlett replied calmly, arms hanging loosely at her sides. "And it keeps Greyson at bay. You're cold like me now, Cindy. We don't have ultrasounds to reveal the gender or a cellphone to look things up. I'm staying here to protect the baby."

"Someone might be calling Greyson back to town. Jason has left town, while Zane is busy," Cindy interjected. "If that happens, protect your baby."

Scarlett knew she had to protect the baby from whoever would hunt it down. Although the pregnancy was freaky, it was still her body—a life she instinctively needed to protect.

"Haven't you thought about the complications?" Cindy started to ramble. "It's not just a walk in the park, Scarlett. You're—"

Scarlett crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Having a child that you're bringing into this chaos." Cindy's voice softened. "And nobody knows how to deliver a baby here. Or take care of it properly."

"Are you done?" Scarlett interjected. "Staying here is safe. We have food, clean water, and electricity. You don't even start showing until later."

Even as she spoke, a faint pulse of power throbbed inside her. Not her own, but something stranger. Her baby. By all normal measures it should barely exist, yet the test and the rank told a different story.

"You can't hide it forever from him." Cindy sighed. "Sooner or later, someone will come and bring him back."

Scarlett dreaded that thought. It wasn't that she wanted to go back at all, but she could stay here with this luxury. No dealing with Luke or Ashley when they are still wandering around.

"It isn't safe to have sex while you're pregnant either," Cindy pestered.

"We use condoms," Scarlett said.

That had been a slip-up the first time. In the heat of the moment, she hadn't considered that she hadn't taken her birth control in months after running out.

It was bound to happen that night, even if they forgot to use protection.

"I won't go back," Scarlett stated, and she grabbed the handle of the door.

Cindy closed the book.

"What if it doesn't stop growing faster? What if you only have six months instead of nine?"

"I'd figure out a way," Scarlett said. She opened the door, slamming it behind her.

Once outside the room, she rested a hand over her stomach.

She still wanted to stay on the island.

But for the first time since arriving, she accepted there might come a day when protecting it meant leaving it and Greyson.

Emma sat on the cot, chewing her lip. Something wrong—she could feel it. Usually the sensation twisted cold in her gut, but this time it was strangely warm.

She scanned the infirmary. The room was quiet except for the weak coughing of the sick scattered across the floor. Most people had recovered after the storm, leaving only five still struggling with the illness.

Her mind drifted back to the strange feeling in her gut. Someone was scared.

She could feel it.

But who?

Divina?

Ashley?

It all started when Divina had become a living doodle, doing as she pleased, tormenting Ashley with powers beyond anyone's control.

She wondered who she could warn. Jason had been off the grid for days, which meant he couldn't help. Greyson was on the island. None of the high-ranks were in town if something went wrong.

Anxiety overwhelmed her as she closed her eyes and flopped back onto the cot.

As she lay, her mind raced through possibilities of who might be able to deal with those dangers.

Esme was running around, burying pieces of Luke's body. Angel was busy with the daycare, and Conner refused to help.

Uden Academy people? Maverick wouldn't help, and certainly not Nevaeh.

Zane may be a leader, but he's not a freak.

Tears slid down Emma's cheeks.

They were all going to die.

She knew the answer she had in mind, but she dreaded saying it.

"What now?" Bryce asked, letting out a heavy sigh.

"I believe something bad is coming," Emma murmured, her gaze drifting upward to meet his.

"You've already said that," Bryce replied gently, wiping the tears from her cheeks and sitting her up.

"I just don't know. I think Ashley's scared," Emma mumbled, feeling her heart race.

"And you think she'll bring some angry mushrooms to destroy the town?" he asked with a teasing grin.

Emma's eyes fell on the dirty sheet covering the cot beneath her. She knew he was trying to brighten the mood, but it wasn't working.

It could be far worse than she thought.

"Emma," she glanced up at the weak voice of Izzy. "There's something you should know." Emma stood and rested a hand on Izzy's chest. "I think Ashley created this cage that's trapping us. Before she developed that fluid, some teenagers were bullying her in the bathroom. One moment Ashley was crying, and the next, those teenagers were gone."

A chill ran down Emma's spine. It was clear that Ashley was for some of this, but that brought her dread.

How were they supposed to stop Ashley?

If direct violence couldn't kill her, then what were they supposed to do?

Emma leaned back against the cot as Hanna walked back in. She buried her face her hands as while the scattered pieces of the puzzle finally locked together.

This bubble is Ashley's fault, but it's God's fault for all the pieces, such as the darkness and storm. It may be Luke's fault for the hydro being gone, but the sky was pitch black.

"Hopefully Ilya doesn't have another seizure," Hanna sighed.

"Has she had another one?" Emma asked, glancing toward Hanna.

Hanna shook her head. "It's not physical, but she's trapped in her own mind. No one can fix that for her."

Emma clutched her fists, the thoughts gnawing at her, but she forced herself to focus on the room.

"Has Jason returned at all?" she asked.

Hanna shook her head.

Just then, Zane stepped into the infirmary. If the storm didn't actually end, then he would be dead.

"Not that I'm aware of," Zane said.

"I think something dangerous is coming again. Ashley is scared, or someone is terrified," Emma murmured. "I'm saying what I feel in my gut."

"Like the coldness?" Zane asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "Do you have any idea as to what it is?"

Emma slowly shook her head. "It could be like that early warning because I felt that coldness for months. And now Luke has become one of those followers, Jason is gone, and Greyson's on the island. We have some leadership, but not enough power."

They couldn't survive another threat. Simcoe is already in enough chaos from everything that has been happening.

"Uden people won't go down and help. If we get killer bugs that infest us like the illness, that's more death. If Ashley comes attacking, it makes matters worse," Emma murmured, feeling bitter tears.

Zane sighed deeply. "I don't think I can get Jason back here," he admitted reluctantly. "I'll try to think of a plan, but I assume you know the last resort."

While Zane might think of a plan, Emma couldn't shake the fact that bringing Greyson back might be the only answer.

This wasn't because of her past feelings for him; she knew Greyson was a strong leader who'd know how they should plan everything since everything was in disarray.

"I haven't heard any information about anything Jason has found," Zane continued. "Other than looking for that freak that stopped this."

Ashley's scared of whoever stopped the storm and raised the temperature enough to actually play outside. People could already create tunnels and pathways without tripping on the large piles of snow.

"That freak hasn't been found," Emma mumbled.

She felt a sinking doubt settle within her.

How could they even locate that freak?

For all she knew, it could be buried in the snow or the icy lake. It would take years to dig through all the snow they have.

"I'll try and think of an alternative," Zane said resolutely, taking the empty vomit buckets again and leaving the church.

Emma couldn't shake off the dread about her own idea that she had come up with. It wasn't rooted in any past feelings; it stemmed from a desperate need for reassurance and a solid plan.

"Why that route?" Bryce asked with amusement in his voice.

Emma didn't turn to look at him, but rather he turned her. "It's the last resort," she mumbled.

The phrase echoed in her mind. It had always been the last option anyone wanted to choose. Greyson had attacked the town, used people, and even herself, but he was a good leader. He'd know what to do and how to control everything going on.

"Stop overthinking again," Bryce interjected, pinching her cheek playfully.

"I'm not," she whispered, brushing some tears away.

"You've been panicking for how many days now?" Bryce asked, his eyebrows raised.

Emma kept her eyes locked on the floor with tears sliding down her cheek. Her mind wouldn't shut off anything that happened, especially being used by Greyson and them.

"We're supposed to try and get over that lake of overthinking," Bryce sighed.

Suddenly, Esme came speeding into the church. "Wanna see something cool and gross?" Her eyes were eager, which didn't give her much of an option.

"Sure," Emma mumbled.

Emma barely had time to respond before Esme grabbed her wrist and took off.

The church walls blurred, snow flying behind them. Emma's heart hammered, like racing in a high-speed chase.

Minutes later, Esme skidded to a stop at the edge of the trench. Snow sprayed Emma's face as Esme whipped the tarp away. "Tada!" Her grin stretched ear to ear.

Emma covered her eyes, unable to bear the horrifying sight before her. She had seen many disturbing sights, with people violently coughing up their insides.

Yet this was far worse.

Instead of the usual pool of blood, two severed halves of a body lay in the snow.

"This whole thing was gross, but it was the best idea I had. I haven't buried Luke's arms yet. I thought about throwing them in the lake," Esme rambled. "Or should I move this part? I could bury it near Wasaga Beach. Okay, we'll go to Wasaga."

Suddenly, Esme jumped into the trench that had been dug, pushing the bottom half of his body up.

"Can you even find Wasaga in this darkness?" Emma asked skeptically, trying to avoid the sliced body on the ground.

Esme gripped Emma's wrist tightly while clutching the half of Luke's body with her free hands. The morbid sight was overwhelming; every fibre in Emma's being screamed at her to turn away and vomit at the sight.

"Of course! You know how great we are with directions," Esme replied confidently. "We'll bury him in the sand!"

"There's only snow around," Emma called.

Esme stopped abruptly, sending Emma tumbling into the snow. Cold flakes seeped into her coat and clung to her hair. She groaned, brushing icy clumps from her face, and pushed herself up from the frozen beach.

The frozen lake stretched endlessly before them, jagged ice reflecting pale white flashes from the sky.

"Look!" Esme pointed to the sky.

Emma followed Esme's gaze and noticed intermittent white flashes illuminating the sky above them. The mysterious lights flickered like distant stars struggling to break free from the bubble that enclosed them.

"Do you think if we throw something, it will stop?" Esme asked curiously, cupping some snow and directing it at the top of the high bubble. Emma watched the snowball fail to even reach the sky. "Do you think adults are trying to break in?"

Emma closed her eyes and tried to think of some connection. Maybe, with whatever sense she had this connection with, they'd know something.

"Don't you feel God's fear? It's scared not of the adults but of the human."

Emma gasped as Esme kicked the snow quickly into the air. It's someone in here who's human. All of them were humans before some developed mutant powers.

Why would Ashley fear a human being and not a mutant?

"Where's this human?" Emma mumbled, awaiting an answer.

"Emma, come help me!" Esme exclaimed.

Emma opened her eyes and walked toward Esme, who was digging a hole in the snow. It wasn't working because the snow had frozen solid.

"You should chop him up more." Both of them jumped, spotting Divina's female illusion.

She had choppy black hair around her shoulders and those glowing blue eyes that seemed to pierce through the darkness around them. The body didn't even appear to be human but was more transparent.

Divina wore the same devious smile she always had around Ashley.

"I thought of that, but that's a lot of work," Esme groaned.

"What's the terror?" Emma asked.

Divina pointed a finger at her. "You're the one who has a connection with me."

"Connection..." Emma repeated.

Her stomach twisted.

The warmth.

The fear.

None of it had belonged to Ashley.

She'd been feeling Divina.

"It's not controlling," Divina continued. "You can feel and sense the danger. Some may feel it later, but God is quite scared of what's coming." She pointed a finger at the figments of white, with it all stopping in a flash. "They were using a helicopter to try and break in."

Esme bounced over eagerly, still clutching the body from earlier with wide eyes. "Did you destroy the helicopter?" she asked.

"I think," Divina said with a mischievous smile. "The terror isn't just me and God, but God's scared of the new human."

"Someone broke in?" Emma gasped.

Divina smirked. "It will be God, Goddess, and mutant child," she replied slyly.

Esme furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "If they didn't break in, then what happened?" she asked.

A sudden realization swept through Emma's mind.

The answer was right there, almost too obvious.

If people no longer gain mutant powers anymore from those alive, it would have to be someone new.

"Someone's pregnant," she gasped.

The violent storm, the mysterious illness, and the burns stopping were all caused by a mutant child.

"God doesn't know about the mutant child. I don't know who's carrying it, but it will bring terror," Divina declared, grinning deviously.

"Why?" Emma's voice wavered.

Divina's sneer deepened. "It can kill God," she replied.

Emma froze.

Ashley could die.

For the first time since the barrier sealed had sealed around them, escape no longer felt impossible.

"That's God's fear," Divina remarked. "Well, it's not just that mutant child, but me getting a body like God."

Emma felt her hands tremble at the weight of Divina's words.

The whole thing was clear: Divina needed a physical body to perform whatever it pleased.

Is that the overall way to get out of this place?

Or was it just for her personal amusement?

"First, we have to make sure God doesn't find the baby," Divina stated, glancing behind her. "God hates and fears the idea of someone powerful like me. Make sure that the mutant child is protected."

Divina disappeared while Emma held her head and crouched down, her body trembling.

What were they supposed to do?

Someone is having a baby, and it could kill Ashley.

"I'm excited to fight with that baby!" Esme cheered, grinning.

Emma could only feel fear. The reality that Ashley is hunting for this unborn child sent chills down her spine.

If Ashley discovered who was pregnant, she would kill the mother before the child could be born.

"I think we have to find the mother," Emma whispered.

Esme threw half of Luke's body into a small hole. "I'd laugh if it was the housewife," she said.

Ever since the storm stopped, something felt wrong. Mark still dumped vomit buckets, checked supplies, and hauled firewood, but without Jason around to take charge, every task felt strangely directionless.

Supposedly, he'd headed out to Sunny's. Maybe to deal with the snow. Maybe just to get some space. No one really knew.

Zane came walking up from behind the church—the same spot where they dumped most of the puke from the sick. He looked tired, but then everyone did these days.

"Did Jason say when he'd come back?" he asked.

"Nah... not a word," Mark admitted, shaking his head. "Still don't know what to do bout' Emma said?"

Zane took a moment before he responded. "I think we have to do that plan."

Mark's eyes widened.

That plan.

The one nobody wanted to say aloud.

"Are you crazy?" Yara cut in. "Everyone knows how full of himself Greyson is. You really want that guy back?"

Mark didn't blame her. Greyson had a reputation—cocky, controlling, the kind of guy who made everything about his own ambitions. But he was also unpredictable. And maybe that's what scared everyone the most.

"Yes, I know," Zane said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But if Ashley attacks, we're powerless. Who even took them to the island?"

"River Dunlop," Talia said. "He's still at Uden Academy."

Mark had been to Uden before, and he wasn't eager to go back. He remembered the things he'd done there.

These days, he wasn't sure which side he belonged to.

"We're taking a trip. We'll come for negotiations," Zane said.

The four of them headed toward the small truck.

"The fire truck is too difficult to drive in this."

Mark climbed into the passenger seat while Yara and Talia climbed into the back.

The roads were still a mess, with patches of ice hiding beneath uneven piles of snow, waiting to throw the truck off balance.

Without warning, Zane slammed on the brakes.

Mark jerked forward as the truck screeched to a halt, his heart skipping a beat.

"I think we've seen this before," Yara muttered.

The headlights sliced through the darkness.

There, standing in the road, was Esme, her grip tight around Emma's wrist.

Suddenly, both girls stumbled. Emma hit the ground first, then Esme pulled her to the side, both gasping for air.

Yara let out a sharp breath. "What now?" she asked, half-joking.

Emma's chest heaved as she struggled to breathe.

"Someone's coming."

Mark's stomach dropped. Ashley had already made survival nearly impossible, but whoever was coming now? That could wipe them completely.

"Ashley?" Zane asked, tightening his jaw.

Emma shook her head.

"Stronger."

She blurted the words before she could stop herself.

"Someone's pregnant."

Silence swallowed the truck.

"That's impossible," Talia whispered.

"Everyone would've noticed," Yara added.

Emma slowly shook her head.

"Not yet."

A baby?

Here?

Now?

Zane squinted at Emma. "Are you sure it's not someone from the daycare?"

"It can defeat Ashley," Emma murmured, resting her forehead against the cold window.

Mark felt a chill run down his spine. If that was true, this baby wasn't just a baby. It was something else entirely—and that scared him.

Yara forced a small grin, trying to lighten the tension.

"So... what's the gender? Boy or girl?"

Esme snapped her fingers. "Well, we wouldn't know the gender unless someone had an ultrasound."

Zane let out a heavy sigh. "We're doing the last resort."

Mark already knew what that meant.

Greyson.

Nobody trusted him.

Mark still didn't quite get why, but because of Emma's intuition, he assumed that was the reason.

Esme nodded multiple times, glancing around the dark road.

"Have fun!" she called, speeding away and dragging a screaming Emma.

"They're chaotic," Mark said.

Zane eased the truck forward, eyes sharp on the dark road. "The baby stopped the storm."

Talia shook her head.

"No way. That can't be real."

Yara scoffed, crossing her arms. "None of this should even be possible."

Nothing they had been experiencing seemed humanly possible.

People killed by the storm weren't supposed to get back up.

"Who's the mother?" Yara asked, her face turning red.

"Nevaeh would find out," Zane said.

Nevaeh was The Bubble's gossiper. She could figure out anyone's secrets by trying to egg them on into thinking about a certain event that happened.

Most of the time, she only cared about ordinary gossip, like relationships.

"Cindy too," Zane added.

Mark heard that Cindy was on the island. He was surprised Greyson didn't try kicking her off the island for privacy.

"If the baby really stopped the storm," Yara said slowly. "Does that mean they control the weather?"

"It could be possible," Zane replied. "Right now, we just need to do our part and someone comes forward about the pregnancy."

"Would a newborn even survive here?" Talia asked quietly. "All the other babies from the daycare already died."

Mark remembered burying the tiny bodies from the daycare. They had run out of supplies to make formula, and the newborns hadn't survived.

"If Ashley and Divina are scared of this baby, it must be powerful," Zane started. "We just need to focus on convincing River to take us."

As the truck rolled up to Uden Academy, Mark spotted two boys out front, arms crossed over their chests.

"What business has you here?" Oscar asked, his brows furrowing slightly.

"We need to see River," Zane said.

Both boys stared at each other before they stepped away.

When Mark opened the thick school doors, they met Nevaeh's gaze, wearing a wide grin.

"Is it time?" Nevaeh asked.

"Unfortunately," Mark said.

They trailed behind Nevaeh through a long, dark hallway that felt like it went on forever.

When they finally stepped into the empty cafeteria, the first thing Mark saw was Mia standing on one of the long tables, jumping around.

River sat on the bench, staring at all of them.

"I'm not going to break it," Mia slurred, almost sounding drunk.

Zane let out a tired sigh. "River, can you do us a favour? We need a ride out to the island."

Mark watched River's eyes flicker for a moment and then he nodded.

Mia wagged a finger at them. "You're bringing back Greyson."

Nevaeh smirked, eyes sharp. "Since Jason's gone, Greyson's only left for his power."

Mark had heard Jason had left to that campground. No one knew why exactly. Bella was still missing, so maybe that had something to do with it.

Mia stuck out her tongue. "You really wanna bring him back? I like being high in the open."

"Yeah, it has to be done," Zane sighed.

Nevaeh leaned back on the table, snickering.

"So... who's the lucky one bringing Greyson back?"

Mark slowly raised his hand.

"Me."

He knew what this meant. Ever since he helped Greyson before, trust around here had not come easy. It had taken time for others to trust him again.

His past actions—stuff that pushed him away from Simcoe—felt like ghosts that were constantly lurking in the background. And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling karma was now catching up with him.

"I'm coming to get food," Yara implied, grinning.

"You're bringing Greyson back so he can lead because of his power?" Nevaeh asked, looking directly at Zane.

Zane didn't even flinch. "Yes. Emma's got a bad feeling about what's coming next. We don't have a choice."

Mia chuckled dryly. "Isn't it already bad here?"

"I can take you," River whispered.

Mark knew he'd be known as the guy who brought Greyson back. Nobody else wants to bring him back, but their leadership is falling to pieces. He's no leader himself, despite Zane assigning him the role.

Nevaeh smirked. "Believe it or not, there are still a few SUVs that actually work around here."

Mark suddenly felt fingers running through his hair. He glanced over to see Mia, her expression one of concentration, as she played with a dazed look in her eyes.

"Your hair is so soft," she awed.

A faint metallic groan echoed through the cafeteria.

Nobody moved.

Another creak.

Dust drifted from the ceiling.

CRACK.

The vent crashed onto the table.

They stumbled back, coughing, until the dust settled enough to reveal the truth.

Mark's breath caught in his throat.

It was Teagan.

Her expression was empty with dulled purple eyes.

Before anyone could react, a thick vine wrapped around her neck. The vines tightened, jerking her upwards for a split second before dropping her to the floor with a thud.

Purple liquid pooled across the floor.

Talia had her palm out with a vine hanging from her hand. "Followers," she said.

They all exchanged uneasy glances before looking back at the table. Right in the centre was a perfect circle, burned deep into the table, still faintly smoking around the edges.

Nevaeh broke the silence. "Looks like it's time to get him."

"I'll take you to the private dock," River said.

"We'll head back to town," Zane called.

Talia nodded and followed him out, leaving the rest to digest what just happened.

Mark turned to River, who nodded, following the boy down the hallway.

"This is a huge risk," Yara whispered.

"I doubt Jason will come back if we ask him," Mark said.

He stared into the darkness beyond the school doors.

He'd spent months earning back people's trust.

Tomorrow, he'd probably loose it all again.

All because he was bringing Greyson back.

Ashley's true fear is the baby and Divina getting a real body like her...

Do you think it's possible for Divina to get a body?
-Lexi