I notice many people staring at us as soon as we exit the elevator and walk into the halls of Bunker Level One. Saint walks with me because he, for a while now, has been staying in a room that's not too far from mine.

First, I think people must be staring because they don't recognise us; courtesy of Rae's masks. However, this prediction goes out the window once I see Saga running towards us, yanking free from her mother's grasp before doing so. Ms Mane shakes her head as she watches her child.

"Willowwww," Saga hurls herself at me, and I lift her up to squeeze her against my chest before releasing her from my hug and placing her down, allowing her small feet to once again touch the floor.

"How'd you know it was me?" I ask.

"I was there when Uncle Rae changed your face, remember?" Saga stretches her arms up, and I, wanting to help her, bend slightly to allow her to squeeze my cheeks.

I forgot that Saga was there when Rae changed our appearance. Judging from the relaxed state of the security, they must have known who we are too. Well, if they never knew, now they do. Still, there must be some reason they're staring at us, and I'm not sure the masks are interesting enough to cause that reaction.

I feel a presence behind me, and I turn around to see Sogi who is now patting my leg. I stretch out my arms to hug him, but I feel embarrassed once I realise his outstretched arms were not intended to hug me. Rather, Sogi, offering me a smile, shoves me aside so he can see Saga.

"Hello—" Sogi's greeting to Saga is interrupted when a younger boy, one I have never seen before, playfully hits Sogi on the back of his head before laughing and quickly running away. "Why would..."

Sogi shakes his now slightly tilted head before putting his attention back on Saga. However, despite a now open-mouthed Sogi, Saint takes this opportunity to speak to Saga.

"You won't greet me, Saga?"

"Shut up, Frosty."

"Don't make me tell—"

"Okay, I'm sorry." Saga interrupts Saint's threats and hurls herself at Saint. She ends up hugging his legs, and he just pats her head before pushing her away.

"Your hair's growing," he says.

"I know." Saga then tugs at my shirt. "I met your friend, Willow. You told me he was nice, but Kane didn't really want to talk to me."

"What do you mean, Saga?"

"I mean, he isn't as nice as you said. He isn't funny, too, but I think he's sad. He looks sad."

"Saga, where is Kane?" I move my face a little too close to hers and lightly, I hope, shake her shoulders. She must be confused.

"He's in your room." Saga looks a little scared, but I'll have to apologize to her later.

I turn away from Saga, Sogi and Saint, and I run towards my room. Saints, whose footsteps I hear following behind me, shouts for me to stop, but I ignore his words.

I continue running towards my run as quickly as I can, yet I try to be careful to avoid bumping into anyone. I almost fall when rounding a corner and end up using a lanky man to gain my balance.

As I near my room, my run becomes quick strides, and when I glance behind me, I notice Saint has stopped running to. I reach the door and push it open without hesitation, wondering if Saga's words will cause disappointment. She may have been confused. Although, I hope her words were true. It would mean I'll finally see Kane and Mathea again.

As I step into my room, I see a figure sitting on my bed. Except for a few extra scars running down his neck and arm, Kane looks the same as he always has.

I move closer to him, but he says nothing to me, and as I get a closer look at his eyes, I realise Saga is right; Kane does look sad.

"Willow?" Kane asks, and I only remember now that I am still wearing my disguise. I then pull off my mask, showing my actual face.

"Yes, it's me. Sorry, they wouldn't let me leave looking like my usual self." Kane looks more relaxed as he recognises my voice. Just then, Saint barges into the room. "That's Sai..."

I stop speaking when Saint leaves the room as quickly as he entered it.

"Who was that?"

"That was Saint. He also had to change his look."

I want to move closer to my friend and suffocate him in the hugs I wasn't able to since our separation, but something in me tells me not to do so. I don't think he wants that. He looks drained; he looks as if it's taking all the strength in him just to keep him propped up against the headboard. He looks exhausted and sad.

"Kane, how did you get here, and what happened to you? You're acting different." I decide not to hug him, but I take a seat next to him on the bed. "Where's Mathea?" I ask, knowing if Kane returned, Mathea should be here too.

However, knowing my sister would be in this room if she were here, worry begins to fill me. She's either not here or something must have happened to her that is keeping her away from me. Perhaps the Purus hurt her enough to put her in the infirmary. I'll have to count the new cuts on Kane and Mathea. I made a promise to Eve.

"Where..." I almost ask about Mathea again, but Kane's expression takes my mind off of my sister. "I'm sorry," I say, and Kane tries to force a smile.

"I'm okay."

"Don't pretend. Not with me."

Kane continues to smile, but I only focus on the sadness in those green eyes.

"I'll be fine. I am happy to see you, Will. I see you missed me a lot." He chuckles as he raises one hand to my face, placing it on my cheek as he brings his face closer to mine and squints to inspect my eye. "You even chose my eye colour."

"I didn't choose it, so don't get a big head."

We both laugh as he moves his hand from my face and places it on his lap. I'm glad to see some life return to him.

My body moves before my mind can catch up, and I begin tracing the scars along his arm, regret filling me as I see the smirk appear on his face.

"Don't say anything," I pull my hand back to my side, and Kane's smirk falters.

"I missed you too, Will."

"Don't call me, Will, but I missed you." He smiles as I reach up and touch his hair. "And you need a haircut."

"I tried telling the doc that, but the Purus don't have the best services."

"Your charms didn't help?"

"You think I'm charming?" He smiles.

"You think you're charming."

We both laugh as he nods his head. I don't meet many people as arrogant as Kane, but it isn't the type of arrogance that annoys you. Perhaps it isn't arrogance at all. Kane might just be really confident, and who am I to determine what point that can become arrogance. 

Kane's laugh comes to an end, and I notice the same grim expression appear on his face; the same look he had when I first entered the room.

"About Thea..."

"Is she hurt? Did they take her to the infirmary? She's here, isn't she? How did you get here?" I grip Kane's arm tightly, but instantly drop my hand once I see him flinch.
He shouldn't have flinched.

"Kane, what happened?"

"You have to let me say it all before you speak, okay? You need to let me spill it out in one go."

He continues after I nod my head, not sure if this is anything I'd like to hear, but I'm sure it's something I must know.

"Mathea isn't here. As for how I got here, I wasn't rescued. They let me go after they forced the cure down my throat. Then they dropped me off some place, and I just started walking. Before I knew it, I recognised where I was; some park near that arcade we always went to as kids. I started walking towards the South Wing, and these people picked me up."

I remain silent, waiting for Kane to tell me more, but he looks at me as if he is waiting for my permission to continue.

"Is that everything? They're forcing cures on you now. There's no more freedom of choice."

"There's no more freedom of choice, Will." Kane sighs.

"Why didn't they release Thea?"

"They haven't cured her yet. They're struggling to develop a cure compatible with her, but they'll dump her off somewhere once they do."

"Eve didn't warn us."

"Eve never knew. It turns out they don't tell her every single detail. She tried to help me when all of it went down."

I'm not sure what to say to Kane. I know how much being Gifted meant to him and how much he wanted to use his gift to make something of himself.

"Wait...what's your original state?" I panic as I remember the lecture we were given from Topaz; Kane should have some sort of deformity or disability.

"They couldn't tell, but they said it would show up in a couple months or years. They said they were certain of that; that I'd be how I was always meant to be."

"Kane...I'm so sorry, Kane."

"Don't do that." Kane gently pushes me back as my eyes fill with tears. "I'm alright."

"You went there for me, and you lost your gift because of it."

"I chose this."

"You didn't know it would be this way." I look down to my lap, not wanting to face him.

"Willow, do you remember how I wanted to go on the 'vacation' with you so bad? I had an idea that it wouldn't be an actual vacation. T kind of slipped up before we went on midterm. She talked about you leaving for some time, but she looked so damn scared about it. I decided I'd be at your house every day from then. You didn't see, but I brought a bag with me. Your dad hated that." Kane laughs.

"You—you still didn't know you'd lose your gift."

"Look at me, Will." Kane lifts my head with his finger before continuing, but I shut my eyes to avoid his.

"Hey, look at me." I sigh before opening my eyes, and I feel embarrassed as a tear slides down my cheek. "I figured anything bad could happen, but I wanted to be here. Don't worry about me. I'm just here to help in any way I can. Let's get Mathea back before they make her as useless as I am."

"You're not useless."

"I am in all the ways that matter in this country. Hell, I can't even go back home. Who knows what Old Otis will do?"

"I'm guessing no one told you about the Pristine Act?" Kane lifts an eyebrow and I continue speaking, "You'll probably be arrested if you go back home. We're not legally allowed to take a cure."

"It's not like I had a choice."

"I'm not too sure they'll believe you. They hate my family right now, and I have a feeling that hate will extend to my friends. I'm sorry."

Kane sighs and falls to the side, his head landing gently on my lap. "It doesn't matter. I didn't really want to go back anyway."

"Is that why you were going to the South Wing?"

"No. When these people picked me up, I was told they had you, but that I couldn't see you. It took a while before any of them got me in contact with someone important. He never came to the room, but they let me speak to him over the phone. He has some high-pitched, soft voice."

I immediately think of Aris.

"Anyway, he told me you weren't going to stick around for long. He said you'll be leaving Geode when this is all over."

"I was going to tell you."

"He let me come here after I said I'm coming with you."

"Kane—"

"I don't really care if you don't want me around. There's nothing here for me anyway."

I can't help but smile as I look down at Kane. It feels wrong for me to bring him with, knowing I won't be around him for long, but I, too, know there's nothing here for him. I'll just have to talk to my family to help Kane with whatever he needs when I'm gone, or maybe I can talk to Saint to organise something.

"He also said he gave you something to stop you going wild for some time."

"He did."

"But it's temporary?"

"It is. Don't worry about that right now."

I know I should tell him about the effects of the black market's cure, but I can't bring myself to do it right now. I'll tell him eventually. I'll tell him while I tell my entire family.

Now, I need to speak to Aris about getting Mathea back sooner than planned. I can't allow the Purus to cure her. I know I want them all to move away with me, but I also want to give her a choice. She should be able to choose to stay here and continue in the Gifted Program or run away with me.

Regardless, I don't know what Mathea's original state will be, and I don't think either of us wants to find out.