INDIGO

There was a loud explosion somewhere in the distance behind us. The bang ricocheted off the walls, piercing our ears. Wolf, Nydia, and Cree stopped just a little ways ahead, looking around the hall with wide eyes. Maybe they were wondering if Lily had changed her mind, had set a trap for us. There was a moment of silence. And then there was the sound of metal creaking, of cement collapsing.

"The bombs!" Cree shouted. "The Crowns set off the bombs. The tower is collapsing."

Shit.

"Run," Wolf ordered. We ran.

We sprinted down the tunnels, following Cree as he guided us through the network laid all across the city, past the Ravens' symbol spray painted across numerous walls. We had exited the tower's base at least ten minutes ago, but the shock of the explosion was affecting the rest of the tunnels. And if the tunnels were collapsing, it was possible some of the roads and buildings above them would collapse too. We would be buried alive.

I hate my luck.

I sprinted faster as the ceiling above us shook, cracks forming. Clouds of dust followed us, marking the destruction of the tunnels behind us. I could barely see the others, trying my best to follow their shadows as splintering dust stung my eyes. It scraped against my throat, forcing me to cough. I struggled to breathe as I kept running.

"Cover your mouths!" Wolf shouted, his voice muffled. I whirled my head around as a sinking feeling set in. I couldn't tell where he was.

And then a hand gripped my arm. The tension in my shoulders eased. He was just to my right.

I followed his advice and pulled the top of my shirt up, covering my mouth and nose, using it as a filter. It was better, though it wouldn't last. Eventually, my shirt would be so caked in dust that it would be impossible to breathe through. We needed to get out of here.

As if on cue, the air around me lit up, the dust glittering white as splinters of daylight shattered through the heavy clouds.

Daylight. An exit.

Perhaps my luck wasn't abysmal after all.

Wolf and I sprinted down the last couple yards, finally reaching the opening in the ceiling. I didn't hesitate before letting go of my shirt and swinging my hands by my side for balance as I kicked off the wall and pushed myself up towards the exit. I reached it, my fingers almost instantly bleeding against the cement as I gripped the exit. Hands grabbed my arms and pulled me up into the alley above.

I fell to the ground, the gravel piercing my skin as I gasped, breathing in the clean air. From the corner of my eye I could see Nydia and Cree reaching back into the tunnel to haul Wolf up. The outside air, the dark blue and orange sky of sunset, the cold breeze lapping my face—all of it seemed like a dream. As if the past few hours toiling in an elaborate prison was so far away, so distant, so unimportant. Everything was peaceful.

And then I was being grabbed once again, pushed to my feet. Nisa ushered me through the doorway of the neighboring building as my mothers bound hands gripped my arm, nails digging in, almost as if to keep me awake and tethered to reality.

"We need to clean off the ash," she hissed as we walked into what looked to be a premium fitness center. A pool sat in the center of a large room. "It could be toxic."

They pulled me through another door and before I could even process it, I was standing beneath a shower, the water running. Nydia, Wolf, and Cree were also sent into showers beside me though, notably, only Nisa was shoving them in while my mother stood in the corner, simply watching the whole ordeal.

I looked down at my hands as the water created lines through the thick, murky coat of ash and dust. It seemed almost surreal.

After switching showers because of the clogged drains and a few more moments rubbing away at my skin and clothes, I switched the shower off. The exhaustion was finally starting to take its toll, my legs shaking under the weight of my own body, my arms red and bruised, palms stinging.

I pushed myself out of the bathroom and back to the pool. The pool was covered with a tarp, protecting the water. The whole room was dark now, darker than it had been when I walked in. The wide windows along the wall were mostly covered in ash, though the top couple feet still remained somewhat clear.

I spotted a staircase in the back corner and climbed up, the metal creaking under my feet as I didn't attempt to shift my weight to keep quiet. At the top I found a small food court overlooking the pool. The windows were indeed much more clear and the sunset shone through the foggy windows. I leaned closer to them, looking out at the city.

Most of it was covered in the dust cloud, not letting me look down. The sun peeked out above the fumes. In the distance, along one end, I could see where the tower had once stood. The explosion was marked by the largest dust cloud and fire arching all around the former base. It covered most of the sunset.

"Pretty, isn't it?" A voice said. I turned to find Wolf standing behind me, hands in his pockets. I hadn't heard him come up.

I shrugged. "Not quite. I've seen prettier things."

"Like what?"

I hesitated. "Cressida. White roses."

He gave a small laugh. I tilted my head. "What's so funny?"

"Don't you find it strange that we all find the symbols of our own misery beautiful?"

I thought about that for a moment, peering out the window, before responding. "Not really. If we hadn't found them beautiful, then why would we remain a prisoner of them for so long?"

"Because it's easier to stay shackled than find a way to break free."

"But wouldn't be easier in the end, when all is said and done? Wouldn't each breath you take be easier than the ones before? Wouldn't each day be easier to survive?"

Wolf paused. He shook his head. "No. Nothing's ever easy. And if it is, then it's merely a mirage built to disguise the new prison you've fallen in."

I tilted my head. "Why do you say that?"

"Because we all sacrifice pieces of ourselves, Indigo. Everything has a cost. And if you think you're not paying anything, you're lying to yourself or someone is lying to you. Because if you never had to give anything up, you would be living in a utopia. And utopias don't exist. We can't build a utopia no matter how hard we try. The only thing we can hope for is a terrible world that's just slightly better than the last."

"Is that what you want? To build a slightly less terrible world?"

Wolf shook his head. "I can't build worlds. No one can. Shared beliefs are what shatter old worlds and build new ones. I simply want to create a new belief."

"And what belief would that be?"

The sun slipped a little further down behind the fog, casting a shadow over his light eyes as he answered.

"That justice can be served."

I knew what the words truly meant. "Revenge."

He nodded. "Revenge."

"It's not exactly morally correct."

"None of us are, Indigo," Wolf whispered. He remained silent, the unspoken words hanging in the air.

Even the two of us.

"What's the plan?" Nisa shouted from below. The voice echoed across the large room. It seemed to jolt me awake from a trance as I realized just how close I'd gotten to Wolf, how long I must've just stood there, turning his words over and over in my mind. I stepped back.

Wolf blinked twice, as if also awakening from a dream. Perhaps we were both just exhausted.

He turned around, gripping the railing so hard, his forearms seemed to tense. He leaned over and looked down at Nisa who stood at the pool's edge. She peered up with a raised eyebrow. Nydia sat at a table to her right, fidgeting with her bow. Cree sat at another table further back. Across from him, with her hands still bound, sat my mother, though she now had duck tape across her mouth. Her scowl still managed to carry across the room, her eyes searing into my own.

Wolf cleared his throat. "We need to wait out the dust cloud. It should probably be gone in a day or so. Until then, we live off the supplies we can find here. We also need to try contacting the base, but connection is probably down all over the city thanks to the explosion. If we can't connect with them before then, we'll contact Laine once we get out of the city."

Nisa nodded. "There should be enough food and running water to last us for a while."

"Good," Wolf said as he started down the stairs.

"Did you find out who the mole is?"

Wolf paused midstep. He sighed before continuing down the stairs. "Yes."

"Who?"

The words drifted away as Wolf reached the lower floor, Nisa falling silent after Wolf's response.

I looked back out the window. The sun slipped further down, disappearing entirely behind the dust cloud for the last of its descent.

I won't get to see the sunset.

And then we were basked in darkness.

Hey guys! I know it's been a while and I've been pretty inconsistent. I got caught up in summer stuff and the chaos of the first couple months of college. That's why I've decided to set a goal of finishing the book by the end of the month. After all, there are only a few more chapters left (though quite a bit goes down ;))!

So, I'm letting you all know that I plan to publish the next chapter tomorrow (10/18/2022). Please spam me if I don't.

~sweee_the_writer