10:05 – Day 2

A loud thud against the wooden door caused Lukas's head to shoot up, whipping around in the direction of the wooden door.

"Wha-?" Petra muttered sleepily, lifting her head slightly.

Another loud bang followed, waking the warrior up all the way. Even Jesse's eyes opened, turning around on the couch.

"What is that?" She asked as all their gazes turned to the door, hearing another thud against it.

Petra hopped down from the armchair, grabbing the hunting knife in an instance. Jesse and Lukas got up to, Lukas protectively wrapping an arm around Jesse's shoulders.

The thuds against the door repeated themselves more rapidly, more desperately. Like somebody was banging a fist against the door in a knocking matter, tugging at the doorknob as well.

The three friends exchanged glances, not sure whether they should make their presence known. Then again, the smoke from their fire probably gave them away.

"Please, somebody!" A hoarse voice called from outside the door, followed by another bang. "I-I need help!"

"Somebody's out there, in this cold." Jesse said softly, looking over at the others.

Petra bit her lip, twisting the knife in her hand. She wasn't about to leave a person to freeze outside their door, but she also didn't know who she could trust. She glanced over her shoulder at Lukas and Jesse.

"I'm going to unlock the door. Stay back, okay?"

They both nodded. Lukas wrapped both of his arms around Jesse, holding her even closer as Petra slowly began to head towards the door.

"Please, you gotta let me in!" The person cried outside the door, their fist banging against the door a few more desperate times.

Clutching the knife in one hand, Petra reached for the door with the other. The person had stopped banging against it, but they were still sobbing out pleads and begs. Petra carefully slid open the lock before pulling the door open, her eyes meeting those of the person outside.

Jesse was still in Lukas's arms, waiting tensely. She heard Petra gasp the moment she yanked open the door, followed by the sudden clang of her knife dropping the the floor.

"Petra?!" Lukas called out immediately, tightening his grip around the terrified Jesse.

There was a thud of the door being slammed shut again, the cold draft from the wind outside disappearing in an instance. And then Petra came into sight again, her one hand once more holding the weapon. The other arm wrapped around another person.

"Olivia!" Jesse and Lukas both called out, letting go of each other immediately.

The engineer was desperately clinging to Petra, the warrior carrying most of her weight. She was trembling all over, her clothes wet with snow.

"Jesse, Lukas!" Olivia's shaking voice flooded with relief when she saw the two of the them.

"Come, get down by the fire." Petra said, helping Olivia over to the heat she so desperately needed.

Immediately the other two dropped down by her side as well, the three of them crowding the shivering Olivia. Jesse swiftly undid the buttons on her soaked red coat, removing it and hanging it beside her damp sweater to dry.

"I didn't know you guys were out here too!" Olivia said, as she held out her shaking hands in front of the fire.

"Kind of, we were all spread over the place as well." Lukas explained. "All of us kind of gravitated towards here, it being the only proper house nearby."

"I got lost in the blizzard." Olivia explained, shivering again. "I didn't even see the place until I was right up against it, I thought somebody lived here... so you all also just woke up in the middle of nowhere?"

"Wouldn't phrase it any way else." Petra confirmed as they all bundled together in front of the fire again.

"Axel and I, we were at the base of a mountain..." Olivia shook her head, raking her fingers through her damp black hair.

"Wait, you were with Axel?" Jesse asked quickly.

"Where is he, is he okay?" Lukas added anxiously.

Olivia shook her head desperately, tears forming in her brown eyes. "No, he's not okay! When we woke up, he was hurt."

"How severely?" Petra asked warily, exchanging glances with the other two.

"There a piece of metal in his leg." Olivia explained, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "He couldn't walk, he told me to find help-"

"When was this?" Jesse asked anxiously.

"Yesterday afternoon." Olivia replied shakily.

"Yesterday afternoon, isn't that about when all of us came to?" Petra asked, looking over at the other two.

"Yes, with me being the exception of only waking up when darkness had fallen." Lukas confirmed.

"W-we have to get him!" Olivia said desperately.

"We can't go out in this storm." Jesse replied anxiously, glancing in the direction of the door.

"He's not going to make it otherwise!" Olivia responded as more tears formed in her eyes.

"Olivia, if we go out there right now, we'll be the ones who don't make it." Petra said firmly, putting a hand on the crying girl's shoulder.

"But Axel-"

"There were blizzards throughout the night as well." Lukas explained. "If Axel had somehow managed to survive through them, it can only mean that he's managed to move into a safer area. Which means he'll make it through this one too."

"Lukas is right." Petra replied. "We don't have a choice but to wait this out."

Olivia let out a sob, burying her face into her hands. The others had no choice but to silently comfort her, knowing there was no way of going out to look for their injured friend.

For a long time it was silent, the four of them bundled up in front of the fire place. Olivia was sitting in the middle, with Jesse's one arm wrapped around her from the side. Lukas said on the other side of her, his good hand subconsciously rubbing the engineer's back. Petra sat beside Lukas, looking down at the hunting knife in her hands, slightly twirling it around.

"Where are we?" Olivia asked softly after what felt like an endless silence.

"None of us know." Petra replied grimly. "And by that question, I'm guessing you don't either."

"Neither me or Axel." Olivia whispered.

"What are the chances?" Lukas breathed shaking his head. "All five of us... no leads of where in the world we are."

"Or when." Jesse replied softly. "Last thing I remember, it has just been Christmas."

"I can shed some light on that." Olivia said all of a sudden.

She got up from the carpet, walking over to where Jesse had placed her red coat, fishing out something from one of its pockets. She sat back down on the carpet, revealing the item to the others.

"A photograph?" Lukas asked as they all leaned in closer to see.

"What the hell am I wearing?!" Petra exclaimed in horror, pulling at her nose at the picture.

"It must have been some sort of new years party." Olivia explained, turning the picture around so they could read the note of the back.

"Woah." Lukas said, pulling a hand through his hair.

"Ditto on that." Olivia said grimly.

"So we crossed into 2019, and we can't even remember it." Jesse said in dismay.

"I want my memories back so much right now." Petra said, gnawing on her bottom lip in frustration. "I want to know who the hell convinced me to dress up for that."

"I mean, at least you aren't in an actual dress." Lukas said with a chuckle, earning a glare from the redhead.

"Is that really what you're most concerned with?" Olivia asked, shaking her head.

"Can I see that more closely?" Jesse asked, holding a hand out for the photograph.

Olivia let Jesse take the picture, watching as she closely inspected the writing on the back. A distant look formed in Jesse's eyes, carefully touching the black ink with her fingers.

"Jesse?" Lukas asked her uncertainly.

"This is Radar's handwriting." Jesse said softly.

"You don't think... you don't think Radar could be out here somewhere as well, do you?" Petra asked, glancing over to the window.

"I hope not." Jesse replied in almost a whisper.

She took a deep, shaky breath, placing the photo back in Olivia's hands. There was a new form of fear and dread in Jesse's gaze, clearly concerned for where in the world her intern was.

Everybody were silent again. Olivia was just numbly staring down at the photo in her hands. Jesse stared out in front of her with a distant expression, Lukas sat with his eyes glued to the flickering flames of the fire. Petra had gone back to fiddling with the blade in her hands, her movements tense.

"The blizzard isn't blowing over any time soon." Lukas said after a while. "Maybe we should get some rest. We can take turns to stay up for bits, keep the fire going and watching over each other."

"As much as I don't want to do that, I don't think I even got five minutes of sleep earlier." Petra said with a sigh. "Some rest does sound inviting."

"Me too." Jesse agreed softly.

"I don't think I can sleep right now." Olivia said with a sigh, pulling her knees up and resting her chin on them. "I'll take first shift for staying awake."

"I'll stay with you." Lukas said. "Catch you up on some things, so on."

"Better not be gossiping about me and Jesse while we sleep then." Petra warned, earning a chuckle from Lukas and vague smile from Olivia.

"So." Olivia said softly as Jesse and Petra retreated to the couches, leaving her and Lukas to talk. "What other crap do you have to fill me in on?"

-----------------------

It's been almost two hours, in which the blizzard outside did not settle. Lukas and Olivia both got turns to get some sleep in, while Petra stayed awake. Jesse was the only one who slept right through without waking up.

Petra was standing at one of the frosted-over windows, watching the wind outside thrust about flurries of snow. It was starting to calm down in the slightest. She sighed, turning away from the window and walking over to the fire.

"Not a ton of wood left." Petra mumbled as she took one of the logs, adding it to the dimming fire.

Petra knelt in front of the fire, letting out a slow exhale as she felt the fire's heat dance across her skin. Even inside the cabin, it was nothing compared to how warm it was back in Beacontown.

Petra glanced back, hearing a slight shuffle over on the couch. Lukas and Olivia were both still sleeping soundly, Lukas sprawled out on one couch with Olivia curled up on the edge of it. Jesse was still asleep where Petra had last seen her, yet restless.

Getting up from the carpet, Petra walked over to her friend's sleeping form. Taking off her glove, she put her bare hand out onto Jesse's forehead.

"Burning up again." Petra said softly, concern flooding her voice.

Other than being a bit worn out and looking slightly under the weather, Jesse hadn't really been getting any sicker. Petra desperately wished that that wasn't changing.

Sighing softly, Petra sat down on the open armchair again, curling herself slightly up on it for some extra warmth. She could really do with some more sleep at that moment.

Jesse moved again on the couch, turning around in her sleep. Slightly flinching and twitching, like she was in the midst of an unpleasant dream. A thin layer of sweat was beginning to break out on her pale skin.

Petra was starting to consider waking Jesse up, when she heard a yawn. Lukas was stretching himself out on the couch, his eyes slowly opening.

"Good thing you're awake." Petra said once their eyes had met.

"Tired?" Lukas asked as he sat up, rubbing his eyes with his left hand. "You can get some rest again, I'll take the next shift-"

"No, that's not it." Petra said, turning her attention back to Jesse, who was becoming more restless. "Jesse's not doing very well."

"Is she dreaming?" Lukas asked, his eyes too coming to rest on her.

"I think so." Petra said softly. "Another fever settled in as well."

"Mm, wha..?" Olivia mumbled sleepily, starting to wake up from Petra and Lukas's talking as well.

"Think we should wake her?" Lukas asked Petra, not paying attention to engineer.

"I'm starting to think so, she's not comfortable." Petra said, getting up from the armchair.

"What.. what's happening?" Olivia sleepily asked Lukas, as Petra sat down beside Jesse.

"Hey." She aid gently, laying a hand on Jesse's uninjured shoulder. "Wake up."

The smallest prod from Petra was enough to cause Jesse's eyes to fly open, immediately bolting up into a sitting position. Immediately she gasped, a hand grasping her injured side.

"Jesse, are you alright?" Lukas asked her gently as he and Olivia approached as well.

"N-no..." Jesse's breathed, her eyes still wide and round.

"Don't worry, it was just a nightmare." Petra said, placing an arm around Jesse's shoulder.

"No, no, not a dream." Jesse said desperately, shaking her head.

She looked up at her friends, meeting all their concerned gazes.

"I think... I think I remember."

___

Petra's arm is so broken in that header, past self why-

But anyway, past self's inability at drawing proper anatomy aside, we have another cliffhanger! *adjusts crown* And this is a big one, the story is completely changing next chapter!

I'd say lay down your theories while you can, because we're about to go back in time and find out what exactly happened to get the Order in the situation they're in. I'm admittedly terrified, because I don't want to disappoint xD

I hope you're all excited for this reveal!

As for the present time, well, things are somewhat exciting if they're not being compared to the ending there. Jesse, Lukas, Petra and Olivia are all together now, with Axel still out in the middle of who-knows-where. Radar's name has also come up now, but there's be no actual sign of him in the book. The blizzard is showing the slightest signs of settling, and Jesse's getting worse again.
What a lovely time-

I have to warn though, once these gaps from the past are filled in, we're going to slowly move over to the part of the story I warned about in the first A/N. Thing's are going to start getting darker, drastically!

Anyway, before I actually spoil something, lemme pop off. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and are excited for the next one! Be sure to share you're theories while you can, I'm eager to hear 'em!

I'll see you all in five days with chapter 14!