It was unusual to see a boy cry. Maybe Nevaeh wasn't used to seeing it—at least not in front of her. Boys liked to act like they hadn't cried in six years. But not River.

River had cried enough to fill an ocean.

Cindy had gone to tell Emma about what had happened at the barrier—with Cecile and the others. She was taking forever, which probably meant she'd stopped to collect the latest gossip.

"Sorry," River said, his voice cracking against her shoulder. "They wouldn't have listened. They never done."

Night had fallen. Streetlights flickered in the distance, glowing faintly far beyond the barrier. They had tried to communicate with the outside, but it had failed. Some people were still gathered around, snapping photos like they were watching celebrities on the red carpet.

"Why did she do it?" River asked, his voice raw.

Nevaeh didn't need to ask who he meant. Cassandra hadn't just revealed the truth—she had those powers. Powers that let her hand pass straight through the barrier.

"She's nice," Nevaeh said softly.

She suspected Cassandra's courage had something to do with the way Scarlett had raised her.

Nevaeh looked at the barrier, where most people had gone home for the night. Cars drove by normally on the outside, yet everything felt confined. Not just the bubble that secluded them inside this place, but also the view of the outside world.

It had been nearly a year since Nevaeh had seen her father in the flesh. He still looked the same when he scolded her—hair trimmed too short, worry pinched his voice.

It wasn't that he could control her actions, but because others feared them. It wasn't just because of the abnormal powers, but also because they had survived something worse than a world war.

"What do we do now?" River asked, taking his head off her shoulder.

"Try not to get murdered in our sleep," Nevaeh said. "Can you believe we used to live in that society?"

They used to live in a place with laws, where parents nagged about homework and curfews. Waking up early for school had felt unbearable—now it sounded like luxury.

Back then, the town hadn't burned. People didn't have powers. Fear had been smaller.

Simcoe could be rebuilt. She knew it wouldn't matter. It would never feel the same.

"No," River answered quietly.

"I want to get out," Nevaeh sighed. "But we both know the reality we face."

River closed his eyes. "Court."

"Greyson and Jason are definitely going to jail. Same with the crackheads," she said. "The rest of us? Felonies."

Outside the barrier, stealing food was still a crime. Even if it was the reason you survived.

A few months ago, they would've starved to death.

Nevaeh clenched her hands into the fabric of her pants. It didn't matter. Her parents probably wouldn't even claim her. Not after what happened during the sighting. Not after what she did in front of her father and the police officers.

"How about instead of a mansion, we all live in a house?" Nevaeh suggested.

"I haven't lived in that before," River said.

Nevaeh often forgot he was a millionaire due to the way he detested it. She'd love to be rich someday and go travel to all the fancy beaches all over the world.

"See, we can go to all those takeout places like McDonald's at 1 a.m."

She had no idea where they were going to live, but it sounded like fun because they'd be able to be teenagers. It wouldn't be the chaos that Mia and the other three created, but they would be having fun like in the beginning.

The beginning was discovering the gossip that had given her migraines until she slept or took ibuprofen. All of them are trying not to die from something called God. The many schemes Greyson and his crew had performed where she was always reporting the information, because Uden's side was always eventful.

She wondered if Cassandra burning Ashley's body would completely free them. Whenever she tried to hear what the mutant child knew, there was a piercing screech through her mind.

"I've never had McDonald's," River said.

Nevaeh stared at him, blinking. "We're getting you fries. Nuggets. Hotcakes. The whole menu when we get out."

He gave a weak smile. "I was never allowed to have that."

She could believe it. Cecile probably fed him lettuce like a rabbit.

Nevaeh remembered watching modelling shows with her two sisters—Anya and Ophelia—when she was still in middle school. The girls on screen would eat half a carrot or a single cube of chicken and call it dinner.

"Yeah, but that was then," she said. "Don't you want to be a normal teenager now?"

River didn't answer, so she kept going.

"You overcame your eating disorder. You escaped your mother. And you found people you actually like being around."

Nevaeh had discovered people she enjoyed hanging out with. Not just for listening to gossip but also for connecting, like River and Mia. All of those crackheads were entertaining, but Eden had to be the one with the lost marbles.

"I love you."

He tensed like she'd just dropped something dangerous between them.

"You love me romantically?" River asked with genuine shock.

"I love you like a best friend," Nevaeh said.

"I thought you only said those words to your lover?"

Nevaeh finally noted how much River did not know about love. He didn't have any idea that girls could say they loved a boy they weren't dating.

"Nope. You can say it to your close friends. It's like family love. Real love doesn't have to be romantic."

"Oh."

She saw the tears shimmering in his eyes. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was confusion. Maybe both.

"Cecile never said that," he whispered.

Nevaeh wasn't surprised. That woman was all image, like an actress playing a mother.

"Your mother is sick," she said bluntly.

She expected him to flinch. To deny it.

He didn't. He nodded.

"She always set these impossible expectations," River muttered. "Made me do things I hated. Pretend I liked it."

"How do you love someone when they treat you like shit?" Nevaeh asked quietly.

She didn't have an answer. Maybe no one did.

"I don't know," River said. "I don't care anymore."

A scuffling sound scraped through the silence behind them.

Nevaeh turned and saw followers at the edge of the field. They weren't standing still. They were drifting closer, step by dragging step.

"It looks like we have to fight," Nevaeh stated.

During this whole situation, Nevaeh had never had to fight anyone. Her mind throbbed at the thought of using her powers. It might be a hard battle. What scared her was what she'd have to use to survive it.

"Let's kill some followers," she said with a smirk.

"We actually fight them?" River asked.

"Unless you want to die," Nevaeh said.

"I can't believe he saved my life," Mallory said again, her voice hoarse after repeating it.

The tears had dried hours ago, leaving behind swollen eyes and the occasional shaky sniffle.

Angel didn't blame her.

After Ashley had burned a hole through Stick's stomach, Angel expected her to come back and finish the job. To burn them alive.

But she didn't.

Instead, they were left stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Angel's arms throbbed from carrying James, and his legs felt like they'd hardened into stone with every step.

"Maybe it gave him some sense of... accomplishment," Angel muttered. "Or forgiveness."

Mallory didn't answer right away.

She stared at the ground, her lips trembling.

Angel barely knew Stick—just that he had murdered someone named Vickie. That was all.

Maybe it was redemption. Or maybe Stick just wanted to matter before the end.

"Do we head back?" Mallory asked softly. "We can't exactly fight followers with James like this."

"Definitely," Angel said. "Emma needs to heal him."

Every step pulled at his legs, heavy and unresponsive, as if it weren't his own. The road ahead was a black ribbon, stretching farther than his eyes could reach. Dust stung his throat, and sweat dripped into his eyes.

They didn't know where they were. Just some forgotten road in a world that barely existed anymore.

He wanted to lie down in the dirt and sleep for a week, but they had to keep moving. Emma wouldn't come looking due to her responsibility at camp.

"I think there's a car up ahead," Mallory whispered, her finger trembling as it pointed toward the faint glow of headlights cutting through the darkness.

A fragile hope stirred inside Angel's chest, but it was fleeting. With their injuries, running wasn't just foolish, but impossible. Every step risked them collapsing in the dust.

"It's so far," Mallory murmured.

Angel swallowed hard, muscles aching. If they made it halfway, he was certain their legs would give out beneath them.

"We can try," he said.

They pushed forward, staggering, trying to run. But the effort turned their legs to jelly, trembling and weak. Within moments, they slowed to a painful crawl, knowing the one way out was to wait—hope that whoever was driving would find them before it was too late.

"Do you think they see us?" Mallory asked.

"Maybe," he said, staggering forward.

Mallory was quiet for a second. "Who do you think Divina will choose? The people who offered themselves?"

He didn't exactly understand this whole selection that Divina had to perform. The last time he ever encountered that thing was seeing it roaming the streets, looking for Ashley, before that whole conflict with Luke occurred.

It felt like yesterday when he was coming back from making some formula at the daycare. He saw Teagan lying on the ground, her shirt soaked in blood and a knife through her chest. He raised a hand with the power he discovered, which paralyzed Luke to the ground with the inability to move.

"Where are we?" James croaked, squinting at the light ahead.

"We don't know, but there's light," Mallory replied, brushing dried blood off her chin.

"Did Stick really die?" James asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"He died for a good reason," Angel remarked.

"All of us might die," Mallory whispered, playing with her pink sleeve.

Suddenly, the car came closer in their direction. Someone climbed out of the car and was standing there. He wondered if it was those followers who could maybe drive cars.

"Mallory?" someone called.

She jumped. "Jade?"

Jade jogged toward them, staring them all over. It was a relief that they would be driven back to camp instead of lugging their way through the road.

"Where's Stick?" Jade asked.

Mallory gave a slow thumbs down, her eyes hollow. "He died."

"I got Esme before she fought Ashley," Jade added with a tired sigh.

Angel's gaze snapped back to the car, noticing Jade's eyes linger on James a moment too long. At least there was that some good news—Jade had found Esme, even if the girl had taken off on her own.

"Is she crazy?" Mallory's voice cracked. "Stick died, and there were four of us!"

Jade sighed. "She might be holding it together for now. But there are two disadvantages."

They trailed behind Jade to the car, where Esme sat sprawled in the back seat, feet locked stiff as ice to the floor. Her grin was almost too bright.

"Hey guys!" Esme called. "Mind helping me get these frozen bricks off? Jade won't help me."

"Emma's going to be so mad," Mallory said.

Jade didn't even glance back. "You already know Emma's not going to heal your feet."

Esme shrugged with a sheepish smile. "I'll convince her somehow."

Angel could already picture it: Emma chucking a towel at her in pure frustration before walking away.

Esme squinted through the car window, then leaned in closer. "Whoa, what happened to James? He looks like death warmed over."

"He got launched into a tree." Mallory muttered, flinching as she shifted her arms.

"You all look awful," Esme said.

"Here, put me down," James rasped.

He slid off Angel and hobbled his way to the car. James leaned against it, his gaze fixed Esme's frozen feet. In that split second, she awkwardly grabbed his face and pressed her lips to his.

"Did you use your super strength?" Esme asked in awe, trying to bang her frozen feet against the seat.

"Yeah," James replied.

"Did you beat up Ashley? That always works well," Esme beamed.

"We did some damage," Angel added.

However, the damage they had inflicted was barely anything compared to what Jason or Greyson could do. They had only managed to give Ashley a few scratches, but she was never fazed by any of the injuries she received.

"Jade thinks I can't do it all by myself. Ashley will probably trip over her feet if she speeds like me," Esme remarked.

"That thing can kill you," Jade mumbled.

"Cassandra was also angry with me. She came speeding over with a face like Emma's when she gets embarrassed," Esme laughed.

"We should get back to camp," Angel suggested.

His own mind felt dizzy as he wobbly pulled open the door, crawling inside. He instinctively closed his eyes, leaning heavily against the cool car window. He didn't have many injuries, but he felt dizzy in general. It might be from hitting his head or walking for such a length of time.

"My feet are growing numb!" Esme complained.

Jade broke the ice on Esme's feet by holding a hand on it.

Esme glanced back at them, poking James in the cheek. "I bet you were such a badass!"

Angel had fallen asleep on the drive back, but it wasn't Esme's screaming that woke him up; it was Emma, who was banging her hand on the driver's window. When Angel stumbled out, he spotted her with eyes wider than tires.

"Were you insane?" Emma exclaimed, staring directly at Esme.

"I missed you too, Emma," Esme mumbled.

"I warned you that it's a risk. Cassandra even said that nobody should go after her alone," Emma rambled, throwing her hands up.

"We have some injured," Angel stated.

Emma whipped around and dashed over to James first, horror on her face. Angel saw Hanna come running over, helping himself to his feet.

"Where's Stick?" Emma panicked, placing a hand on his forehead.

"He's dead," Mallory murmured, looking down at the grass.

"Okay, let's go to the tent," Hanna said.

He was guided to a tent that was set up nearby. Inside there was a cot nestled against the right side and some sleeping bags on the ground. There was a basket filled with medical supplies that someone had found in a trailer, which mostly contained medication and bandages.

"Ashley attacked us," Angel stated.

Hanna kneeled in front of them. She grabbed a tube antiseptic ointment and began gently dabbing it into the throbbing wound on his head. She applied two small bandages on it since there was barely any left.

"I was almost burned to a crisp, but Stick saved my life," Malley said. "He ended up having a huge hole through his stomach."

"At the very least it wasn't a bad death," Hanna said.

Angel wasn't sure if that had been the best term to classify it. Did she mean it in the sense that he saved someone rather than just being mercilessly killed?

Emma came crawling over to him, setting a hand on his forehead. He felt the pain fade, making him sigh in relief.

"Heal my feet next!" Esme complained.

"You aren't getting them healed," Emma spat.

"Why?"

"You know why."

Emma wouldn't heal them because she went off alone. If she did that at night, she might be dead.

"Plus, your face is still all torn in some places," Emma implied, chewing on her lip.

"I could run fine," Esme remarked.

Angel didn't think that was what Emma wanted to heal. There were some parts of her skin peeling, with some old scars bleeding down her chin.

"No, you couldn't," Emma refused.

"Are you not doing it because Bryce is away?" Esme asked.

"No."

"Oh, I know!"

"Don't say it," Emma whispered, focusing on healing James.

"If you're going to be a disruption, Esme, leave the tent," Hanna said.

"My feet are numb too from Jade's ice," Esme rambled, wobbly sitting on the grass.

Angel wasn't sure if Emma would end up healing Esme's feet. After all, she might end up taking off running if she did.

Tears streamed harder than they had in months as Cindy covered her face, her whole body trembling. The memory of Melany's death slammed into her—blood soaking her shirt, the sharp crack of the bullet, and the helplessness that followed.

"You need to stop crying," Melany said gently, crouching in front of her.

But Cindy couldn't stop. The sobs came in waves, each breath stolen by the fear that once the last follower fell, Melany would disappear again. She didn't want to lose her sister a second time, but she also knew that Melany was not truly alive, just an illusion.

Was this how Emma felt when she told the truth? Her chest ached like something had been ripped out of it.

"I can't help it," Cindy sobbed.

What happened to the girl she used to be—the one that cared? Now she pushed people away without a second thought.

She pulled Melany in for a hug.

It didn't feel right.

Melany was there—but faint, like she could disappear any second.

Cindy tightened her grip anyway.

"I miss you so much," she whispered.

"I do too," Melany said, calm and steady without tears.

Cindy sniffled. "It's been so hard. I can't even walk into the infirmary without seeing it again...

She looked down.

"I've been horrible to everyone..."

Coldness was the only way she acted toward others. If she got close to people again, they would turn out just like Melany by sacrificing their lives. Shutting everyone out felt like the only way to avoid being hurt again.

"I know it's hard without me," Melany said gently. "But it's all about acceptance. You have to move forward without me by your side."

Cindy's eyes widened. She pulled back, blinking rapidly as the words sank in. She knew exactly what Melany meant. The thought made her chest tighten.

"Accept that I won't be there..." Melany's voice faltered. "I won't see you graduate. I won't help you through high school. I won't be there to catch you when you fall."

She swallowed.

"But someone else will."

Cindy swallowed hard, her throat tight. "I..." Her voice faltered.

Melany gave a sad smile. "You're still mad at yourself, but remember, you helped deliver the child I couldn't."

"Should I just sacrifice myself then?" Cindy whispered, sounding vulnerable for the first time in a long time.

"No," Melany stated firmly. "Avoid death, especially from Ashley. You have to keep living for me."

"My goal is to live." Cindy's voice cracked. "It's pretty hard in a place like this."

"You fought Luke, and you are alive," Melany implied.

Cindy gulped at the mention of his name because somewhere out there, he is still a follower. She hoped someone had managed to get rid of him after everything he'd done.

She had come back to tell Emma what happened with River—before she saw Melany. She was supposed to be helping in case another fight broke out. It's not that any of them know how many followers remain, except for Cassandra.

Now, she felt she couldn't bring herself to go back. Yes, she had witnessed an actual prosecution happen. How an actual parent can lie about their actions, especially someone famous.

"You are growing past my death, though." Melany's voice snapped her from her thoughts. "You helped with Cecile Dunlop getting charges laid against her and got witnesses, plus you defended against someone who needed justice."

She had saved River from even more emotional damage. It was the emotional pain people experience, especially him, Emma, and herself.

"All because you are still gaining people you can trust. People that you can call home."

Cindy stared. Melany had always understood people better—always knew what to say. It was why she was so good with understanding the knowledge of Ilya's depression.

"But..." Cindy whimpered, brushing her tears away with her palm. "I've been so mean to people..."

Lashing out at people by refusing to do jobs or ignoring the many calls she received about injuries.

"When people are hurting, they act like that," Melany said. "Now you have to help stop the rest of the followers."

"That means you vanish," Cindy whimpered.

"I'll always be in your heart. So, go help them fight to survive." Melany pulled her into a hug, closing her eyes with a shaky breath. "Do it for me."

"I love you."

"I love you too, so go defeat those followers."

Cindy bopped away, her eyes still teary. Glancing over, she spotted a follower charging right at her.

"Yay!" Nevaeh cheered, still staring directly at a follower. "We've gotta finish these guys off!"

The follower lunged, a thick vine snapping toward Cindy like a whip.

She barely ducked in time, gasping as tears blurred her vision.

"River's caught!" Nevaeh shouted, struggling with another follower.

Cindy shoved the follower hard to the ground, searching around for something. She needed to find anything she could use to hit them because she wanted to keep living.

Her fingers scrabbled against the dirt until they closed around a jagged rock. She swung hard. The rock connected, and the follower crumpled as the vine snapped free.

River staggered to his feet, rubbing the bruises around his arms. "That ached," he rasped.

Nevaeh still tried to fight off the follower by reflecting their guilty secrets, but she had dark bags under her eyes. River grabbed the rock, tossing it like it was simple.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they charged us with manslaughter," Nevaeh stated.

No one on the outside had seen it, but some of them already died in the storm. Maybe it wasn't all the storm, but people who had accidentally been burned.

"There shouldn't be many left," Cindy whispered.

She felt tired herself—not from the fight but from all the crying she did. It almost caused her eyes to water again, but it didn't.

"I'm guessing Bryce's group might have some, or maybe that other group," Nevaeh said.

"There've been so many of them," River remarked, running a hand down his face.

All of them were tired as Cindy looked out where normal society is. People out there get the comfort of sleep, while here you barely sleep a good five hours anymore. Especially now that Ashley's committing murder with all the freak abilities.

"Can we head back now?" River asked with his head hanging. "This day's been way too long."

Seeing how a boy who had been scared of contact ended up hugging the two of them. Cindy had never been close to River, but he seemed to trust her among the few here.

"I'll bring us back," Cindy stated, holding out her hands for them to grab.

When they both grabbed them, she closed her eyes, feeling her own mind drift off. Suddenly, snapping out of her daze, they landed back in camp near one of the fires. River had a few cuts from the vines, but they weren't serious enough for Emma to heal.

"You made it back," Bella remarked.

Cindy stared at her in contempt. Six months ago, this was the girl who'd she would fight with constantly about the toxic behaviour she used over Jason without her acknowledging the reality. Now she was facing the reality of the situation for once.

"Hello, housewife," Nevaeh snickered.

Bella stood with her lips pressed together, a small piece of paper clutched in her hand.

She held it out.

"Give this to Jason."

"I'm pretty sure they're coming back soon," Cindy muttered.

"Just.. in case. You can read it," Bella whispered.

Cindy opened the paper to scan over some of the words. Within the first paragraph, she had widened her eyes.

"If that's your decision," Cindy said flatly.

The letter was a goodbye letter addressed to Jason. It was obvious she wasn't telling him about the decision she made, especially since she was confronting them.

Nevaeh grabbed the paper to read the letter. "This is quite depressing," she said.

Cindy knew why Bella would want to sacrifice herself—but she doubted she'd be chosen. Divina most likely preferred a freak to a normal person.

"I'll talk to him, but I'm not telling him," Bella mumbled.

"I doubt you'll be picked," Cindy said, crossing her arms.

Cindy didn't feel sorry for Bella—even after everything Melany had said. If she decides to sacrifice herself, it's her own problem. She knew that some others would be like her, but not for the same sake.

Bella had annoyed many people, especially during the storm. Some were envious of her, but Cindy knew Bella had realized how her fate should end.

"I still might," Bella whispered, shrugging her shoulders.

"Haven't you thought about what the soldier will say when he gets back?" Nevaeh asked.

"I'm still keeping it secret. Only give him the letter if I'm chosen," Bella mumbled, nodding her head.

Bella didn't seem scared to die or anything. Cindy didn't even know what the sign of someone being chosen was. The thing she did know was that Cassandra had to call it.

"We'll have to see," River whispered.

Cindy grabbed the letter back and read the words over again. She would live for Melany's sake, which meant not dying. If Bella did end up being Divina's choice, something would be the same. The once-golden boy and girl would die by sacrificing themselves.

Cindy and Melany's last conversation... When Melany talked about not being there, I started crying.