"So you're telling," Landon paused to bury his head into his palms as he let out a huge breath. This was probably the hundredth time he'd done this during and at the end of my narration. Could I really blame him though? "So you're telling me that all this has happened in a month?"

"Three weeks max," Rav clarified while Camila affirmed his statement with a nod.

   I invited both of them in after telling Landon everything. When I didn't see Dorian waiting with them outside, it just made me feel worse for saying what I said. Even if it was the truth, I could have handled it differently instead of throwing it in his face like that. In addition to that, I'd rubbished last night with him—one of the best nights of my life–right to his face.

   According to Rav, Dorian decided to step out of the motel for a while and he didn't tell Rav and Camila where he was going, only that he'll be back when he'll be back. Rav tried to assure me that Dorian just needed some time to himself to cool off. There was only one thing I could take from all that Rav said though.

   Dorian was never going to speak to me again.

   I might as well just get used to the gut wrenching feeling that came with that thought from now on.

"How haven't these alien things tracked you down so far?" Landon asked. "How do you know they aren't right now? Because from what I've gathered, it seems like they have the means to do so."

   I thanked my brain for forgetting to mention the time when I had to join Rav, Dorian and Cami to move from the first motel in Ridgeton after I got those texts.

"They aren't!" I chipped in right before anyone else could. "We've made sure of that."

   As expected, Rav and Cami sent questioning looks my way, to which I responded by giving a subtle head shake and brushing a finger over my lips. How were we going to make Landon not freak out if we told him something like this?

   Fortunately, he seemed too preoccupied with his thoughts to notice our behaviour.

"You haven't tried contacting the police or anything like that, have you?" Landon raised his previously pinched brows.

"Do you think we're idiots or something?" Camila rolled her eyes at that question.

"I'll take that as an aggressive no, then," he mumbled.

"So now that you've heard everything, I suppose you're on board then?" Rav queried.

   Letting out a shaky laugh, Landon ran a hand through his honey-coloured dreadlocks that grew to his shoulders.

"I need a minute to process this." he sighed.

"We get that, really we do," Rav said. "But as we speak, Tali is now in danger for trying to save the other Zavolonians from the Yunies. Time is running out. We need all the help we can get."

"And why do you think you were the only one who received the message, Landon?" I chipped in. "Talise obviously believed that if anyone could substitute her in helping out, it was you. And you didn't go through all this trouble just to find out what happened to Talise and not to do anything about it, did you? Even if you cannot say the same for the other Zavolonians or the rest of the world, you care about Talise and your parents and siblings. "

   My words seemed to resonate with Landon seeing as he released another sigh while burying his face into his hands. It didn't take much to understand that there was an inner battle occurring in his mind. Something which I could sympathize with. After all, it took me an entire week before I could gather up enough courage to show up Zavlon after the Liberation Week incident.

   This wasn't a decision to be trifled with.

   But that didn't make it less worth it. I could only hope Landon came to terms with that. And fast.

   Landon uncovered his hands to reveal a pain stricken face to us all. He cussed, sighed again and lifted his gaze toward the ceiling this time.

"If I'm going to help you," he eventually blurted. "tell me y'all have a solid plan."

   Okay, okay. This was good. We were getting somewhere.

"Way ahead of you," Rav replied.

   I reminded Landon of how Talise was able to place our transparent colored, squash ball-sized 360 degree angle viewing cameras around several areas in Zavlon Academia before she was taken. The cameras that we planned on activating to begin our search for Mr Sacury's lab.

"And when you find it?" He shrugged. "What's your plan on getting into Zavlon?"

   Looks of shame circulated around Camila, Rav and me. No one had really thought of that part yet. It was probably because nobody was too eager to do so just yet.

   I know I wasn't.

   Even though saving everyone was the point of all this, it still didn't change the fact that the thought of going into Zavlon to face those Yunies was borderline terrifying.

"You know what?" Landon gulped, being smart enough to read the room. "One thing at a time."

"So...does this mean you're in?" I bit back a smile while I asked to confirm.

   This time, Landon didn't hesitate in responding, "I'm in."

   After we had our late breakfast (with Dorian still a no show), our next move was to go back to Rav's room. We synced the cameras earlier with his laptop and phone so those were going to serve as our means of viewing Zavlon when we activated the cameras with their remotes.

   It was decided that we were going to run shifts in regulating the cameras and observing the surroundings of the school it was able to capture. That was actually the reason why Rav and Camila were some steps ahead in our walk to Rav's room. They were discussing who was going to be an observer at particular times, leaving Landon and I lagging behind, out of earshot.

"Are you okay?" Landon, next to me, asked after a moment of silence. "Literally hearing Talise being, uh, what did you call it... right! Hearing Talise being subject to the placement gun must not have been easy."

"It–" I exhaled a wobbly sigh before proceeding. "It wasn't. And you know what the weird thing was?"

"What?"

"Tali kept saying that she was okay. Even after she was most likely thrown across the room like a rag doll." My mouth let out a bitter laugh. "And she tried to shut one of the mind controlled Zavolonians up when he told me it was my fault. Not that he was wrong."

"Beth, he was wrong," Landon said as he threw a frown my way. "I hope you really don't think it's your fault."

   How could I not? If I'd just withheld the truth from Talise, she would still be safe. That coming at the price of her hating me was the least of my concerns. But now, because I brought her into this, she was no longer here.

   Someone was to blame for this and I couldn't think of a more suitable person.

   I didn't make all this known to Landon though, simply muttering "I just wish she was here."

"We're going to get her back," Landon looked straight into my eyes as he told me.

   His unabashed stare came with a level of comfort I couldn't have predicted in a million years. The ache that descended upon my chest since I mentioned Talise, though it took its time to, finally receded and the toxic thoughts of doubt and self-pity weren't clouding my mind anymore for now.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I pressed.

   I didn't think I couldn't handle being responsible for another loss.

"Yes." His lips morphed into his usual laid back smirk.

"Okay," I nodded, diverting my stare from his face.

"You were wrong, you know," Landon remarked.

"Huh?" I turned to him again. What did that mean?

"When you mentioned who I care about in Rav's room. I'm doing this because I care about my parents, younger siblings and Talise."

   My brows scrunched up into a frown. He just repeated what I literally told him. Where was my mistake? Landon seemed to realise my confusion, because he made sure to establish eye contact again.

   An expression I failed to recognize flashed across his face before he spoke out,

"But... they aren't the only ones I care about."

A/N: Ohhhhh 🙃

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