Emma rested her head against a woollen blanket, eyes closed, her body too heavy to hold itself upright. This wasn't how she imagined returning to Sunny's—but injuries didn't wait for the right moment.

"Try not to vomit your insides," Esme quipped.

"Maybe you should stop for a bit," Angel chided.

Emma shook her head, but a sudden wave of nausea crashed through her, hollowing her out. She gritted her teeth and forced herself upright anyway.

She stared at Esme's scarred face. Most of it was healed, but some parts weren't. Her skin was still covered with wounds that made Emma's stomach turn.

"I feel fine, Emma," Esme said as she bounced on her toes.

"You can't fight because you need more time to heal," Emma explained.

"Ashley won't be able to catch me," Esme stated.

"There was a sighting!" Xander called out as he pushed aside the tarp entrance to the makeshift infirmary.

Emma lifted her head slowly and tried it to crawl over toward him. "Are Greyson and Jason around?" she managed to ask.

"I think," Xander said.

Esme darted forward before Emma could respond. "Let's go find them!" she shouted, grabbing Emma's wrist.

"Wait—" Emma began, but her protest turned into a yelp as Esme tugged her upright.

Esme moved too fast.

Emma feet tangled beneath her, and the next second she hit the ground hard—face-first in the grass, coughing and groaning.

Esme barely slowed down, still gripping Emma's wrist like a leash. "Someone fast," she muttered, eyes scanning around camp.

Emma lay still for a moment, trying to catch her breath as her stomach churned again. Around them, the camp buzzed with low voices and rustle movements.

Someone fast.

Could Ashley be mocking them? Zooming through camp just to prove she could? No—not with the mutant child's birth changing everything. Ashley wouldn't risk exposure now.

"Let me heal the rest of your face," Emma groaned, still lying in the grass.

She remembered how bad Esme's injuries had looked days ago. The deep gashes, the whip marks—some had healed, but too many were still raw and wide open. An infection was a risk. The last thing Esme needed was some festering fungus setting in.

Before Emma could say more, Esme suddenly pointed at a tent. "Who?"

Emma followed her gaze and blinked. A young small girl stood a few yards away, narrowed shoulders and no taller than a ten-year-old, but her stance was confident, almost commanding.

"How can you run fast?" Esme demanded, stepping forward.

"Because I can," the girl answered simply.

Emma sat up, squinting. The girl had long dark hair braided neatly down her back, and was wearing a pink jumpsuit that looked out of place and oddly fitting. But it was her eyes—sharp, bright blue—that made Emma's breath hitch.

She knew those eyes.

Or rather, she had seen them in someone else.

Footsteps crushed the grass behind the girl, and Scarlett approached, moving with her usual confidence.

"Zane wants to talk to you," she said, placing a hand in the girl's head.

"Okay, Mom," Cassandra replied without hesitation.

Mom?

Emma's stomach flipped. That word didn't fit. Cassandra was supposed to be a baby.

"Can we race?" Esme blurted out, clearly unfazed by the growing strangeness.

Cassandra turned and wrinkled her nose in disgust. "You should get your face fixed," she said flatly.

Esme just shrugged, unbothered. "It's fine. Superheroes don't need all their wounds healed," she said, flashing a thumbs-up.

Emma didn't laugh. She couldn't. She was staring at Cassandra.

The realization was creeping in like a slow sunrise: this girl wasn't just any kid. This was the baby. The one who should be cradled in Scarlett's arms.

But here she was, walking and talking like a ten-year-old, with Greyson's eyes and Scarlett's beauty.

Light. Power. But underneath, there was something colder.

Emma felt it. Not just in Cassandra, but in what she represented. Ashley's wrath. Her followed. Divina's looming threat.

And now it was all here—walking away with hand-in-hand with Scarlett like nothing was wrong.

Emma knew the child had a plan because if she was like Greyson, there'd always be a plan. Scarlett might know because she's been the one closest to the child. Even if you ask the young girl herself, she might be able to deliver that grand speech to everyone.

A wave of dizziness crashed over Emma, and she barely managed to stay upright. Her vision swam. The glowing pink light was too bright. She pressed a hand to her temple to steady herself.

Cassandra and Scarlett were walking away now, but Emma couldn't stop watching them. The girl moved with a kind of assurance that didn't belong to a child. She radiated the same calm certainty as Greyson and Scarlett.

"This is gonna be the race where someone finally keeps up with me," Esme declared, punching a fist into her open palm.

Emma's stomach turned again. It wasn't from nausea this time, but worry. Esme wasn't healed. Not even close. If she pushed herself too hard again, she'd end up in worse shape. Or worse, dead.

"Guess I've gotta drag you around now that Bryce or Mark aren't here," Esme said.

She grabbed Emma's arm again, and everything tilted.

Emma groaned as she felt herself being pulled along the grass like a sack of laundry.

Although she liked having Mark as a friend. Their friendship grew stronger during the town split, as he helped her during her mental breakdown.

Just like her, he'd been that type of outsider. Jason had gotten busy focusing on a task or Bella, but not his friend. She had focused on healing them but failed for being too nice.

"Seriously?" Hanna stepped in, eyebrows furrowed, and gently pried Emma free. "Can you not drag her around when she's clearly about to pass out?"

She crouched beside Emma and guided her down carefully, laying her on her side in the infirmary.

"How many times do people have to tell you not to overwork yourself?" Hanna muttered.

Emma let out a weak breath. "I've been vomiting too much."

The words felt pathetic, but they were true. Every time she threw up, it left her hollow—like something vital had been stolen from her. Sleep helped. So did food, if she could keep it down. But today she felt like threadbare version of herself.

Hanna turned to Esme, who was pacing nearby like a caged tiger. "Is she even healed enough?"

"Her neck still needs work," Emma said softly, "but most of her face wounds are just surface-level now."

"Then why isn't she getting the rest healed?" Angel chimed in, his voice tight with concern.

Emma closed her eyes, too tired to keep them open. "Because if she doesn't feel pain, she thinks it's not a problem. That's just... Esme."

It was true. Esme treated danger like a challenge. She'd take a punch, lose blood, get thrown through a wall, and still find a way to grin afterward.

But the sight of her open wounds made Emma nauseous. Not just from the blood, but from the fear of what might happen if Esme finally took a hit she couldn't bounce back from.

And they didn't have time for that.

Not with Ashley still out there, hunting them.

Not with the endgame already moving to place.

Cassandra might a weakness in Ashley's plans, but she was still a child. She couldn't stop everything. That responsibility would fall to the rest of them.

Emma knew what had to happen. Cassandra would go with Jason and Greyson. First the followers—break Ashley's control, weaken her reach.

After that, Divina would take its host.

A chill crept across her skin.

Divina had whispered to her. It hadn't tried to convince her to be the host, but it had told her things. Dangerous things.

Someone would have to die.

That was the cost.

What happens after someone gives up their life for the cause?

Do Divina and Cassandra beat Ashley like some final boss in a video game?

Do they break free from this bubble they've been trapped in, and finally see the real world?

Or does the bubble stay? Just thinner. Transparent enough for Cassandra to start reshaping everything her way.

"I know she almost died," Angel muttered nearby, "but she shouldn't just treat it like an opportunity."

Emma didn't answer. She didn't have enough strength.

She knew Esme too well—the way she ran toward fights, consequences be damned. She was willing to break something just to win. Just to matter. It scared Emma because she understood it more than she wanted to admit.

"It's just who she is," Emma mumbled, curling slightly into herself.

This was a common occurrence for her, either feeling physically sick or fainting. Emma still didn't like it when people witnessed her fainting. She constantly felt like she didn't measure up to others, always comparing herself to those who seemed stronger and more capable.

Despite overcoming her mental breakdown, it was still a difficult battle for her. She sometimes compared herself to Bryce, who had been on numerous adventures while she constantly worried.

She started dating Bryce around six months ago, just before the town split. He'd been there during the worst parts of her breakdown, helping her back on her feet. He teased her sure, but he treated her like she mattered.

Her thoughts drifted to her mother—or rather, the absence of her. The kind of absence that built walls around people.

Families gathered together. Mothers with their children. She only had memories, echos.

She didn't want anyone else to die. That was the last thing she could hold onto. The constant that wouldn't change.

But the truth sat heavy in her chest: she might die.

They all might die.

Ashley was still out there, and Cassandra was her target.

And if Cassandra fell, all of them would.

A wave of confusion washed over Zane as he sat across from a girl who should not be ten. It wasn't humanly possible–but then again, neither was this deadly place.

Cassandra played with a lock of her dark hair, glancing around his RV with her mouth twisted curiously.

"You said you'd explain the overall plan," Zane prompted.

"Yes, I have multiple plans." Cassandra said, folding her hands neatly on her lap. "We have to target Ashley. First, we deal with her followers."

Zane watched as her eyes narrowed, studying him as if he were the one being evaluated.

"I assume you mean with Jason and your father," he implied.

Cassandra nodded before biting her pinky nail. "However, there are other things we need to focus on: the barrier, and getting rid of the substance."

"Cassandra," she stopped, looking at Scarlett, who leaned against the window.

"There are a lot of issues to be fixed that put you in danger," Cassandra said, nodding.

Zane knew they wouldn't be past all the danger, but most of it they had gotten through.

"I have a plan to get food first," Cassandra said. "But we can't let anyone go looking for Ashley alone. She's angry that I'm alive because it brings her closer to death."

Zane had heard about the Divina situation, where it wants a host body. It's a dangerous process that could result in someone's death.

Cassandra held up four fingers. "It's like a process. First, we weaken Ashley's domain."

Zane frowned. "Weaken... how? You mean her powers?"

"Yes," she nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Then we deal with the followers. Some can be convinced, so they might help us. But resist, they will be erased."

"And the host body?" Zane asked.

Cassandra's small face grew serious. "That's the most dangerous part. People might volunteer, but Divina chooses."

Zane pressed his lips together, heart thudding. The stakes were higher than he'd imagine.

"It takes two months for Divina to fully acquire its powers," Cassandra added. "The person Divina chooses will be like, how God is Ashley."

Zane's heart raced as he wondered if Cassandra would be straightforward about the host-body situation.

"Tomorrow, I'll be the same age as my parents." Her voice was calm, but Zane caught the brief flicker of hesitation in her eyes. "It doesn't mean I know everything yet, but I'll be strong enough to do so."

Zane didn't want to ask her about her plans, but he knew she probably knew more than they did.

"This is if people don't go running to fight Ashley. If they risk their lives, they will die," Cassandra repeated.

Zane knew that not everyone would be on board with her plan. Esme enjoyed engaging in fights, so she might not listen. Ashley has every mutant power, so she will most likely set fire everywhere.

"If we take too long, we will all be dead," Cassandra spat, staring at him. "Simcoe was burned to ash. She was also nearsighted and dyslexic but... I don't really know what that means."

While Cassandra may be intelligent, she is still a child who may not fully understand this place. However, she could eventually become just like Greyson, who knows exactly what needs to be done.

"Apparently, you're a good planner, but my priority is the bubble surrounding us. I'll need to go there with my father and Jason, and I'll do whatever it takes," she said, placing her hands on her hips.

Zane glanced at Scarlett, who nodded. She knew, just like he did, that Cassandra may have lessened the fear. Not Ashley's wrath of wanting the child dead, just how Cassandra had sent her somewhere.

"Where is Ashley?" he asked.

"In some bush," Cassandra replied.

It was a chaotic place, filled with bushes and fields still covered in some snow or frost. Cassandra didn't know the entire area, but she probably couldn't pinpoint the exact spot if she wanted to.

"You'll need groups to help with the followers," she stated matter-of-factly. "It's easy to convince them, but if they revolt, they have to be popped."

This meant creating new groups, including the freaks who had all returned. However, he needed people to convince them.

"I'll be sharing my lovely speech tomorrow," Cassandra said with a smile.

Zane nodded, leaving him to contemplate the basic outlines. Cassandra's plan likely involved the bubble, but she couldn't destroy it.

Was that her goal? He wasn't sure, but he trusted that Cassandra knew what she was doing. Despite being born just a few days ago, there was a problem to be solved. The host body issue was like a game to Divina, where it picks and chooses.

Zane climbed out of the RV and was greeted by Yara, who ran to him in a frenzy. "It's crazy!" she exclaimed, pointing at Esme and Cassandra.

Esme seemed eager with a grin, while Cassandra seemed to know that whatever they were doing, Esme would lose.

"I've heard," Zane said.

Esme shot forward like an arrow, frost exploding from beneath her feet. Cassandra followed instantly, her small frame moving impossibly fast, her hair streaming behind her.

Zane's eyes tracked them, noting how Esme's grin clashed with Cassandra's cold, focused stare.

The RV rattled as their speed stirred the loose snow, and Yara stumbled slightly trying to keep up.

"Is her plan really going to work?" Yara asked.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"I'm pretty sure those still alive are all here. Bella's apparently coming back," Yara implied.

Bella had been in isolation for months, which she would never have done. Emma, Esme, and Bryce had even gone to get her back, but she refused to come back.

However, Bella had a taunter that wasn't Scarlett or Luke, but Eden. The same girl who had memorized the entire Bible ended up being the one to help. It wasn't exactly helping, but it was more fixing. The strangest part of it all? Eden acts differently than her religious ways.

During the six months of peace, Eden had come by to ask if Zane had heard from Bella. At first, he didn't know why, but later he realized who Eden was. Under her religious persona, he couldn't sense anything dangerous.

Nevaeh has shared many rumours and secrets with him. Although he was not aware of any murders, he knew Eden was involved with gang activity.

All he knew about the situation was that Bella was drugged by Eden at some point. Since the storm, Zane had not been close to Bella. He's been busy himself, but hopefully she's gotten out of the state she's been in.

"Last time we saw Bella, she was a crazy person. Esme said I should hit her with a hockey stick," Yara said, holding up a broken one.

"When she does arrive, some will have questions," Zane said, scanning the campsite.

"The housewife left her soldier," Yara said as she made the dramatic wave.

As Zane turned, he felt a gust of wind rush past him. He saw Cassandra standing as if she hadn't just run faster than a race car.

"I'm off by a few seconds!" Esme exclaimed.

"I told you I'd be the faster one," Cassandra remarked, brushing her hair back.

"I'll be faster," Esme said, slamming her fist into her palm.

"Heal your face," Cassandra snapped, lifting her arms up.

"My face is fine," Esme said.

Cassandra narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything. Zane wondered if she suspected something but didn't know.

Looking up at the sky, it was dark, just like the morning and the night. It gave them a sense of normalcy, unlike the pitch darkness or the pink sky that provided them with light.

"Did Emma have fun vomiting?" Yara asked.

"I don't think she had fun vomiting a lot," Esme replied.

"Just don't do anything stupid," Cassandra warned Esme before walking away.

Esme stuck up a thumb. "See? Superheroes do make smart decisions. Now, let me go fight Ashley while Jason and Greyson handle the rest."

"We have to focus on the followers over Ashley," Zane remarked.

This was one of the first steps they needed to take in this whole process. The followers were the ones doing the dirty work after all.

"I'm fast enough to outsmart Ashley. I can do it myself," Esme said.

Zane sighed deeply. "That's not a wise idea, Esme."

"It will be a secret," Esme said as she sped away.

"Who will go after her?" Yara asked.

"I'll get Jade; she'll be able to freeze her in place," Zane replied.

James' strength wouldn't work, and Angel isn't exactly healed yet.

"I'll talk to her about it later. We have other things to worry about," Zane sighed. "It all starts with Cassandra."

Bryce squinted down the deserted road, flanked by fallen trees and empty fields that stretched under the sunset.

Mia bounced around, singing off-key Christmas songs, while Will laughed at her antics.

Eden lingered nearby, her eyes flickering toward Bella as if timing the perfect insult.

The others stayed silent or watched the scene unfold, unsure how to react.

"Okay, but that baby is literally adorable," Mia gushed.

"Cuter than you," Bryce said, sticking out his tongue.

"No!" Mia interjected.

Suddenly, they froze. Ahead, a figure loomed in the dim light. It was a follower who clung to Ashley like pimples.

"Do they kill us?" Mallory asked nervously.

"I knew we'd end up together in hell," Preston said.

"Some of us are getting roasted," Will implied.

As they stood still, Teagan approached them slowly. Her hair was messy, and dried blood still stained her white shirt from where the knife pierced her chest.

Bryce felt a surge of indecision course through him; he wasn't sure whether they should run. Yet all of them remained frozen in place. The last time they encountered a follower, they had been chased by them.

"God wants to kill you all," Teagan said calmly. "Most of us... we just want to be released from Her."

Bryce wasn't exactly intelligent, but wanting to be released from Ashley didn't make sense. These were the same people who had attempted to kill them in the past.

"Just ask Eden," Mia suggested, bouncing on her feels.

Teagan's eyes flickered toward the group. "Cassandra will be able to once she grows."

"Why?" Bella whispered.

"She reverse it," Teagan said. "Cassandra can destroy followers—or bend them to her will, if they choose to follow her."

Bryce felt like a cold breeze had blown through, but there wasn't any wind.

"Does that mean you want to help Cassandra?" Mark inquired.

"Some of us got our revenge, but we don't want more people killed," Teagan spat.

"I thought followers were evil?" Mallory inquired, seeming genuinely confused, like all of them.

Followers were supposed to be something on social media, not dead people doing dirty work.

"We just want revenge," Teagan spat.

Bryce didn't see that as any different than possessing someone's soul. It reminded him of those horror movies he forced the crackheads to watch, where Mia and Will would always be screaming in the first five minutes.

"Will just unfollow them," Mia said, tripping over her untied shoe.

Eden rolled her eyes. "Right... because I can totally see them stalking us on Instagram."

River frowned. "Uh... Social media doesn't work," he said, clearly missing the sarcasm.

"It's not that we can trust you; haven't you attacked people?" Bryce inquired with crossed arms.

"We can," Bella whispered.

Eden started laughing scornfully, causing Bryce to smirk. He couldn't blame her for laughing, though, because followers murder people.

"That's like trusting Luke not to kill us," Eden sneered.

"We don't even have fighters. Eden can numb all people's movements, but we're pretty useless," Will commented, throwing his arms up.

Just then, Teagan popped like a balloon as they stared at the purple substance on the ground.

"I want to fight some baddies," Mia whined, holding a fist up.

"You'll punch yourself in the eye," Bryce stated.

Mia gawked as they started walking. It was dark since evening had fallen, which did help that they still had light and darkness when it came to sleeping.

"We go back to camp, trying not to die," Will said.

"Or we could party, but that's not possible when we're at Sunny's," Mia said with sigh.

"No, they won't have an area for you to party," Bryce mocked.

"If all else fails, we'll sacrifice Bella," Eden said, smiling.

"Good idea. If Ashley comes to kill us, we'll shove Bella at her," Will agreed.

"I'm feeling such support here," Bella grumbled, her arms crossed.

"The housewife is returning from her staycation," Bryce said with a mocking wave.

The dramatic reunion between the soldier and the housewife would be arriving when they came back to camp. Bryce had seen the soldier during that six-month period when Emma went to heal a serious injury, and Jason's looked like a widowed woman.

"After her departure, the soldier doesn't know how to talk to the housewife," Eden said.

"Where you drugged me," Bella remarked.

"Your point?" Eden asked.

Bryce watched the conversation, fully aware that Eden did not consider drugging someone to be wrong. Her seemingly innocent smile masked the monster all the crackheads were familiar with. In many ways, she was just as dangerous as Luke but without the sadistic nature.

"Eden, why don't you just have one of your angry outbursts and beat up someone? You used to do that all the time when you got mad," Mia said.

Whenever Eden got mad, it was always over the smallest things. If someone bumped her in the hall, she would shove them into a locker. If people made a comment about her being similar to Luke, she'd normally punch them.

"Shut up," Eden barked.

"We should just get back to camp," River murmured.

"Zane will probably have an overall idea of what the next step is," Mark said.

Bryce didn't know what the next step was after getting back to camp. It was already tiring enough to walk; however, many miles remained, and he couldn't feel his feet. Driving was much easier, especially since you don't have to worry about someone hitting you.

"I want to fight a bad guy," Mia complained.

"You can't fight," Bryce stated, sticking out his tongue.

"Yeah, I can. What are you talking about?" Mia said it dumbly.

"Why don't you be the host body then?" Will inquired.

"I'm not giving up my body to some sadist," Mia remarked, gliding a hand down her chest. "I'm too cute."

"Who's the one that used to get us into nightclubs?" Bryce inquired, pointing a thumb at himself.

Yes, they had managed to sneak into various nightclubs together. Their schemes weren't limited to just house parties; often, they found themselves talking with the girls who worked as bartenders.

"I got us into parties all the time, like that one in Simcoe that Bella was at," Mia said smugly. "We're great with parties."

Together, they were not just attendees, but party creators. They would bring large amounts of alcohol they bought with fake IDs or by Mia doing something idiotic that caught the attention of people. However, sometimes their escapes led to them stealing things from houses, like food, electronics, or decorations.

People didn't think they looked dangerous because they were never being on campus, but in their own way, they were. The four who'd steal the vehicles to drive off somewhere by learning to drive through multiple YouTube videos and using Google Maps.

The four of them would always be sitting in the headmistress's office, waiting for their parents to answer. Each of their parents never picked up the phone because most of them blocked the school.

The crackheads were born as children who were never accepted by their parents. The bad turned worse over time because their knowledge was based on delinquent behaviour, not care.

"Isn't that it?" Preston pointed it out.

They spotted the silhouette of a large sign that was bent. There were a couple of small trailers nearby, and he could faintly see a glowing fire reflecting off a trailer.

Bryce had been there twice because Emma needed to heal some drastic injuries. However, he would spend half of his time trying to keep Emma from vomiting. It never worked well because sometimes Esme would make remarks.

When they got to the entrance of the campsite, something captured their attention. A teenage girl stood atop a large wagon, gathering the attention of a small group that gathered around her. Without her eyes narrowed, she exuded an aura of both confidence and intimidation.

It was the very same girl they had seen two days ago. Her long, wavy hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing a face with bright blue eyes that appeared to be constantly analyzing everyone around her. She was an exact reflection of her mother, except with a body that looked completely healthy compared to all of them.

"Looks like there's someone else you have to envy," Eden snarled.

"She's..." Bella started, but then seemed to catch an eye on Cassandra.

"Do you keep forgetting it's Greyson and Scarlett's child? They're pretty, so the child has to be super pretty," Mia slurred, collapsing to the ground with a thump.

"It looks like we're listening to another grand speech," Bryce remarked.

As they moved closer, the large group of people gathered around the wagon came into view. He spotted people like James and Jade, but it was Emma who caught his attention. Her eyes widened, and she rushed over to him, hugging him tightly.

"What's going on?" Mark asked.

"It's Cassandra... she's the mutant child," Emma murmured.

"Do you think she knows what to do?" Mallory asked.

"If she's like Greyson, she'll know but leave it out of the speech. After all, she's supposed to be the one to save us," Bryce said.

Everyone seems to be back at camp, but Cassandra is no longer the child she had been.

Do you think someone is going to try and fight Ashley alone?