How didn't he see it coming?

Jason should have seen the sign when she started talking about how she'd die for him. Bella smiled, like everything was going to be okay.

It wasn't because he had seen that her eyes weren't blue or soft anymore, but black and cold.

There were tears sliding down his cheeks because she was actually gone. He should have known that would come, because she had wanted to find a way to truly make up for using him.

Now they have to finish the other problems before Divina gets her powers back.

When he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder, he knitted his eyebrows knitted. No one had come in.

As he looked up, he saw Bella, and rubbed his eyes several times.

"Cassandra found a way," Bella said with a smile.

She didn't exactly look like Bella. She was transparent, still wearing the clothes she wore yesterday.

Jason reached for her hand, but it didn't feel like anything. It was almost like she was an actual ghost.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Jason asked, his voice cracking.

"I didn't expect my body to be taken over, Jason... but I knew you'd try to stop me if I told you," Bella whispered. "I can't believe I'm talking while I'm dead, but I'm not exactly dead until my body burns."

Jason wanted to hug her, but he couldn't. He knew it wasn't her in physical form, since he couldn't feel her.

"You aren't dead?" he asked, voice cracking.

"I'm just a soul waiting to physically die," she whispered, shrugging. "That's why you can't sit around over this. I did something to save us, so you have to finish it."

Jason's heart tightened at the thought. Beneath the grief sparked a flicker of determination. Bella had given everything. If he didn't act, all of it would be for nothing.

"I was going to stay back for distributing the food," Jason said softly.

In general, he didn't want to help out at all. Just knowing that Bella wasn't actually Bella—but Divina going around to torture Ashley—tore at his heart.

He knew the sight would just bring back a rush of memories.

"Go fight like you've always done," Bella remarked with a smile, wiping her tears.

Jason stared at her but didn't say anything. He didn't have the energy nor motivation to fight Ashley with a group of people.

"Don't be mad either," she trailed off. "This was handed to me before this chaos started, Jason."

Bella placed both her hands on his cheeks.

Jason couldn't feel her touch, and he could tell she had noticed when she slowly lowered her hands.

"I've always thought highly of myself... hanging out with older friends, going to parties, dressing older than my age. Just like Stick, we were stars. The golden boy and golden girl," Bella spoke, tears threatening to spill. "But when those fifteen and older vanished, we lost our popularity. Now, popularity is based on what someone has accomplished."

Tears flowed down Bella's cheeks.

Jason watched, feeling helpless.

He couldn't comfort her—no matter how much he wanted to.

"Scarlett was popular for her looks, while you were popular for everything. I was jealous," she mumbled, lowering her eyes to the floor. "I think that's why I did it. I'm not used to feeling jealous or being interrogated. I wasn't used to Eden or Cindy calling me out, but they both knew, and I couldn't face the reality."

Jason wondered if Bella would be a ghost until they defeated Ashley. He didn't exactly know, but it pained him to see this.

Even if she touched something, it didn't move but stayed in place. All Bella could be now was an illusion, until the final battle happened.

"Do you fade away when Divina dies?" Jason asked, his voice cracking.

"It's sad, isn't it? You have all these dreams and goals, but then something changes," Bella started. "I looked up to someone for my dream career, but she wasn't the true image. I even dreamed of getting out of this place... but it didn't happen."

"Are you going to randomly pop up?"

"It's a one-time thing. I just have to wait somewhere. Maybe it's in isolation that Eden pestered me about."

"Only one time?" Jason didn't realize his voice had cracked.

"It's the goodbye I never got to say," Bella trembled, tears sliding down her cheeks as she opened her eyes. "I'm so sorry for the damage I caused you. The controlling behaviour... the actions... I wish I could have changed that."

Tears streamed down Jason's cheeks, and his chest ached.

This wasn't how he imagined their final goodbye.

"But don't let my death overrule your thoughts about stopping Ashley. She needs to be defeated," Bella gulped. "I've enjoyed my time here with you. Maybe we'll meet again someday... but until then, keep fighting the wrongdoings. You deserve your happiness and freedom. I hope I brought you happiness, because I know you brought it to me."

Jason wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. But it wasn't.

This would be his final conversation with the Bella he had fallen in love with.

"You did bring me happiness, Bella," he said.

"I didn't want it to end this way," she sobbed, shaking her head.

Then she dropped to her knees.

"But you'll always be in my heart."

Jason extended his hand.

She took it.

He didn't feel it, but he still held on.

She looked at him with her lips quivering, trying to smile.

"You'll always be in my heart," Jason said, tears sliding down his cheeks. "I love you."

This was truly becoming their end.

They wouldn't be running to Uden Academy to stop Greyson. No walking out of this place together hand in hand. No prom. No trip to Paris.

It was truly the end.

"I didn't get forever," Bella's voice trembled, "but I had you. And that was enough."

Bella leaned forward to kiss his lips, even though he didn't feel it.

She looked at their intertwined hand, putting her other hand over her mouth.

"I love you," she said, looking at him again with tears running down her cheeks. "So much."

He didn't want to say goodbye to her.

Every memory with her was flashing through his mind—even the times that they fought. The feeling of her lips. The smell of vanilla perfume.

All of it would become just a memory.

"Goodbye for now, Jason. I love you, and I'm so sorry."

She gave him a sad smile.

Then, she vanished away.

Jason sat frozen in place.

Her soul was truly gone.

But he would still see her body roaming—although it wouldn't be the girl he fell in love with.

The one in her body was a sadistic psychopath who only wanted top torture Ashley.

He clenched his fists.

Everything inside him screamed to stay frozen—to stay in that moment with her, as long as he could.

But she made a choice.

Bella had given up everything. Not just for him... but for everyone.

She didn't get a forever.

He was still here.

He couldn't waste that.

Jason wobbled to his feet, placing a hand on the plastic table and taking a breath.

His eyes were red and his chest still ached, but his decision was clear now.

He wouldn't let her sacrifice be meaningless.

Wiping his tears away, he walked through the narrow RV, opening the door where Jade stood, startled.

"Zane wants to know if you're going to ambush with us," Jade said.

Jason nodded.

"That means we split," Jade added.

"Split?" Jason asked.

They walked through the campground, where people gathered together in groups with weapons.

"Zane said something about it... but he might be having you and Greyson alone," Jade said, stopping in front of Zane.

"I'll ambush," Jason said.

They'd somehow stop Ashley.

Jason watched the sky turn into dawn.

That was the signal to start collecting anything that could help.

Maybe they'd find Ashley. Maybe not.

But Jason felt someone had found would.

And they would end up destroying her.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but I must leave. I wish I could stay," Bryce said dramatically.

Emma flushed, her gaze drifting toward the blue tarp stretched over the infirmary.

"Um..." She hesitated, then forced the words out. "Be careful."

Bryce crouched down in front of her. It had taken a long time to get his legs fully recovered, but now he could finally walk properly.

He pulled her close, pressing a soft kiss to her lips as his thumb gently brushed along her cheek.

She lifted her hand to his face, and he responded almost instantly—his arm sliding around her back, drawing her even closer against him.

He slowly pulled back just enough for their foreheads to rest together.

He knew he should have some self-control.

That was a lot easier in theory—especially when he wasn't standing this close to the girl he'd loved for years.

"Thanks for healing my legs. I'll try to avoid breaking any more bones. I love you so much," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

"Wow. Dramatic much?"

Mia suddenly jumped on his back, nearly knocking him forward.

Bryce groaned, reaching him to shove her off. "At least I'm not a dumbass."

"I've got the keys," Will called, jiggling them.

Bryce grabbed the keys from Will because he was the locator. It was a useful power when it came to finding anything, especially people, when they used to play manhunt during the dark period.

Bryce smirked. "They've got gas. That means we're not walking."

They headed toward a bright blue pickup truck parked out front. Rust crawled along its edges, and one of the headlights was cracked—but he didn't care. Walking still hurt too much to be picky.

"Mia gets the ground," Bryce said.

Bryce climbed inside the small truck, which only had three seats. They were all crammed inside the truck, with Eden in the middle and Will on the other side.

"Which way, Will?" Bryce asked, starting the engine.

Will shut his eyes as the truck rattled down the road.

"Right," he said after a second, pointing.

Bryce swerved without slowing.

"I have an idea," Eden started. "Can we burn down Uden Academy?"

All of them stared blankly before Mia burst into laughter. "What even is there to start a fire? That building is huge."

"A lot of things," Eden said.

Bryce's intention of going back to Uden Academy certainly wasn't helping Eden's plan to blow up the school. He knew that since she wasn't wearing her facade, but acting with her true character.

"Wouldn't that cause a scene? You'd destroy at least everyone's things," Mia interjected, her words slightly slurred as she swayed from side to side.

"No, instead of burning, I have an idea if we encounter Ashley," Eden said with a nod.

"It obviously isn't calling the police," Bryce remarked.

"Actually, let's not do that." Eden sighed, placing her hands behind her head.

Bryce raised his eyebrows at Eden. She hadn't said it aloud, but he could tell that burning down Uden Academy wasn't a joke to her.

"Okay, we aren't setting Uden on fire, as much as I want to," Will stated.

"All we have to do is find some type of weapon, right?" Mia asked in a daze.

Bryce stopped the truck in front of Uden Academy, which appeared unchanged from six months ago.

The large loomed over, its interconnected buildings stretching wide and dark against the sky.

They opened the door to the dark school as Bryce flashed the light around in his hand.

"Most of the guns or knives have probably been taken," Eden stated from behind.

They entered the cafeteria, where the kitchen would be.

The cafeteria had always been for the "problem" students—locked doors, extra supervision, nowhere to slip away.

However, eating in the cafeteria meant security had been extra careful.

Will pushed open a black door that led into the kitchen and stared at the empty place.

The cabinets hung open, shelves stripped clean. The fridge door creaked slightly, revealing nothing but empty racks and a stale smell.

Bryce picked up a greasy frying pan from the counter, gripping the cold metal handle.

"That's good for hitting someone in the back of the head," Eden said.

Bryce shot his eyebrow up at Eden. This girl knew every tactic to use when it came to attacking someone with any weapon.

Mia pointed at the stove. "What if we just take that?"

Bryce smirked. "You planning to throw it at someone?" he asked. "Last time I checked, you had noodle arms."

"No!" Mia snapped back. "Maybe it'd work to cook food!"

Will laughed, shaking his head. "Mia, ovens need hydro to work. And we don't have that."

"Honestly, hydro means electricity, not light and water," Bryce said.

"Ecclesiastes says, 'Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool," Eden preached, lacing her hands together.

Mia stood nearby, her jaw dropped in disbelief.

She reached for an empty silver pot from the counter, intending to hurl it at Eden.

That was stopped when Eden instantly took it from her and gripped it like a bat, ready to hit her.

Bryce walked through the wide kitchen, which had been designed in the shape of a horseshoe.

As he rounded a corner, he discovered shelves bare of food. He noticed a small latch at the top of the dark shelves that he could reach.

He pulled open the brown latch.

As soon as he did, several boxes came crashing to the ground.

They came running over as he opened the boxes, and a strange sight appeared.

"These are things they've taken from students." Bryce said, sitting on the black-tiled floor.

Mia wrinkled her nose. "Ew, who smokes cigarettes anymore?"

Bryce watched Eden pull out a long knife and held it up, staring at her own reflection. She turned the knife in her hand, studying the blade.

"We could go for the eye," Eden said casually.

"Whoa, they have so many. I wonder if they are all from Luke," Mia awed.

"This is what we need," Eden said while staring at another box. She pulled out a bow and arrow, trying to adjust the aim.

"We'd be like in the Hunger Games," Mia laughed, twirling one of the arrows.

Eden pulled the bowstring back, the tension sharp in her arms as she aimed at the far wall.

She released.

The arrow cut through the air and slammed into the wall with a sharp thud, then clattered to the floor.

"If I aim it discreetly, I could hit an artery in her neck," Eden confirmed.

"It won't exactly kill her, but it will injure her. My power doesn't allow through the neck for objects, only the stomach," Bryce said.

He watched them all stare blankly at him, as if he had failed to share this information.

It was something he learned about his powers when he had been trying to figure out how they worked.

"Bring the knife that way to the neck, and we can hit her in the back," Eden informed.

Bryce grabbed the knife himself, knowing that Mia would end up stabbing herself if she carried it.

"Let's keep looking," Bryce stated.

Will pushed the cardboard box while running out of the kitchen. "I doubt we will find anything like TNT or dynamite in here," he called.

"Let's hope Eden doesn't blow us all up," Mia laughed.

River stood at the edge of the wooden dock, gazing down at a small fishing boat bobbing gently on the water's surface.

Cecile used to refer to those boats as being for poor people. However, he knew that in reality, many people owned motorboats most just like this one; they were accessible to anyone who enjoyed spending time on the water.

Now, all three of them stood staring at the boat that some boy named Eli had.

"How do you start it?" River inquired.

"You don't know how to start a fishing boat?" James asked.

"You just start the engine," Eli said with a shrug.

Nevaeh wobbled slightly as she stepped inside the boat, which rocked beneath her weight.

This boat didn't have any fancy features—no couch, no mini fridge, not even a television. It was just a regular motorboat, the kind people his age were probably supposed to know how to drive.

Well, he wasn't exactly sure if that had been true, considering how lost Nevaeh looked.

"We just start the engine?" James asked, standing at the edge of a wooden dock.

It sat near a sharp incline, beside a wide tunnel that led onto the highway. The whole place felt strange, though River had grown up surrounded by luxury.

"Yes," Eli said as he stood on the dock.

River's gaze shifted to James as he stepped into the boat—only to trip over a loose coil of rope.

Nevaeh started to laugh.

River hesitated for a moment before lowering himself in, using his long legs to steady his balance as the blue boat swayed beneath him.

"You will have enough gas for there and back," Eli implied.

As River settled in to his seat, he gazed out into the crystal-clear water, its surface devoid of any sign of life. Despite the bubble of transparency surrounding them, nobody had been boating on the other side.

River noticed James preparing to start the boat. The sudden roar of the engine shattered the silence, sending goosebumps racing up his arms. The noise was far louder than he had anticipated from the calm surroundings.

"You know the way from here, right?" Nevaeh asked over the loud roaring of the engine.

"I'm pretty sure it's right," River said.

James began guiding the boat away from the shore, though none of them really knew how to handle it. River focused on the outline of the island, but Nevaeh's gaze was caught by something else entirely.

"Are those sirens?" she pointed out, near one half of the bubble bare of land. From the dawn sky, there had been flashing red lights surrounding the outside.

"We'll look after," James said.

As they approached the mysterious sight, River couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with Cecile's arrest. It's not that they could pull off a court session without him actually being there. However, people still want him to talk about it. Police officers or reporters were clouded with questions about when this happened or his feelings.

Did they think he was supposed to feel relieved?

The memory sat under his skin, sharp and suffocating. He wasn't over it—wasn't even close.

That's why he feared when Nevaeh said she loved him, however it wasn't out of that romantic love, as he had assumed, but family love. It was the type of love his mother could never give him.

"Do any of you actually know how to set off fireworks?" Nevaeh asked.

James frowned. "Instructions? I mean... we could figure it out, but I was thinking we could add something extra. Like a cleaner or bleach... to make it more... intense."

River froze. "I don't think it works like that, James..."

Nevaeh shook her head with a smirk. "Calm down. Let's just figure out the basics first."

The island came into view—its sandy shoreline glistening under the pale sunlight, the rest of it dark and uneven beyond the beach,

James slowed the engine, guiding the boat onto the shore.

The boat slid onto the sandy shore with a soft thud.

River hopped out, the cold sand crunching beneath his boots as James and Nevaeh followed.

The snow had mostly melted, revealing the dead grass beneath.

River's gaze drifted upward to the hillside. He froze. The wooden stairs, once broken and splintered, now stretched intact to the top.

"The stairs... they're restored," he whispered, stepping closer to touch them.

When he left the island, River had plainly seen how the wooden steps were destroyed. There was no way to restore them unless he called someone to fix them, but that didn't work here.

"They are..." Nevaeh trailed.

"Cassandra must've done this," James confirmed.

River rushed over to press a hand on the wooden staircase. It did not break, which he widened his eyes at the sight. It wasn't humanly possible for something to be restored, but Cassandra's powers were always surprising.

"Are the fireworks in the mansion?" Nevaeh asked, her eyes scanning the distant silhouette.

"Yes," River replied, pointing toward the darkened structure.

From a distance, Simcoe looked like a blob of grey. All of it wasn't lush or green but dark, as if it were no longer Simcoe.

There would be no more fireworks bursting from the mansion on Canada Day. Now, everything about it felt dark.

River may not have been an actual citizen of Simcoe, but this wasn't a town anymore. It had become a world of supernatural abilities, chaos, death, and violence.

"Holy!" James exclaimed as he searched through the rooms with open doors.

All the blinds were closed as he opened an end room in the basement that was dark grey. It was like a square as he spotted the dozens of fireworks against the wall. There had always been sparklers lined up in boxes on a white shelf, as River held a box of fireworks.

"It'd be pretty if they were to be displayed over the lake," Nevaeh said as she picked up a box.

The boxes were all different types—brocade, crackling, spiralling burst—stacked so high that River couldn't remember why they had so many. Perhaps it was some celebration, but none of those he wanted to remember.

"With the number we have, this could definitely work as a blinding weapon," James implied, opening one of the long boxes.

River had no idea how to light fireworks—he'd always just stood back and watched them from a distance.

"Should we... put something inside them?" River asked, unsure.

James scanned over the readings on the long black boxes. He glanced at Nevaeh because he didn't understand how setting a single fire even worked. Nonetheless, he didn't know how to blind someone with fireworks.

"Are we using them now?" River asked.

"It would be smart now to almost blind her. If we mess up her vision for a few seconds, that would be our chance," James rambled.

They were all bullies to a girl who had been bullied in the past; however, they also became targets for murder.

River didn't want to die this early. He wanted to experience the life of a normal teenager, such as going to the mall or arena, where you could create bonds like he has.

People who have embraced him for being sexually assaulted since everyone else turned away. Maybe when they did get out, he could build something for those without parents.

"I don't think she can use Will's location power. If she could, we'd already be dead," Nevaeh said. "We have to survive another two months here."

Two months meant constant ambushes from Ashley. It seemed she'd find a new way to interfere, even when they waited.

"We could look around for weapons, but Ashley's somehow going to burn the place down," James stated. "That's why I think we should bring all the fireworks. We light half of them when we know Ashley's coming. It'll buy us time while Cassandra deals with her powers."

River sat cross-legged on the grey carpet, staring at a box of colourful sparklers beside him. He remembered holding sparklers in Paris, watching them burn bright against the dark sky. They were meant for fun, not for a photo shoot.

"Maybe Cassandra can't strip away Ashley's powers in just one day," James muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

"What?" Nevaeh asked, holding a box of sparklers.

"Maybe those two months are what it takes for Cassandra to completely wipe away Ashley's supernatural abilities," James remarked.

"Wasn't Cassandra trailing Ashley?" River asked.

"She's supposed to be with Divina. And I don't know what's going on with those sirens out there," James said.

All of them had faintly heard sirens from a distance. It could be those hungry reporters wanting to take pictures of him to post on social media.

"We could probably see from the sunroom," River implied as the two of them stared at him.

They rushed up the stairs as River followed behind all the way into the sunroom. The space was bathed in natural light, thanks to its large windows overlooking the town.

Nevaeh approached the long telescope positioned by the window, giving a clear line of sight over the landscape. She immediately turned her attention to where they list caught sight of the sirens.

"I see people being lifted into ambulances. Police officers and fire fighters are present with people that appear injured," Nevaeh stated as she stepped back.

River took his turn art the telescope. He adjusted his stance for a better view and squinted into the lens, trying to make sense of what was happening.

On the blocked road, several people lay on the ground—some receiving medical attention, others sitting up, dazed and disoriented.

"Those are American reporters," River said, his voice tightening.

Hollywood seemed eager to capture every moment unfolding before them. The presence of reporters from major networks like CNN or Fox News, exposing the circumstance, framing it as a monumental issue that demanded attention.

"I don't think this has been random because all buildings are still present, but people are on the ground. I'm guessing Cassandra created one of those earthquakes," James said.

"Cassandra wouldn't do it randomly. She's smart, so I wouldn't be surprised if she saw something she didn't like," Nevaeh said.

"You think she saw Heather?" James asked while looking back at Nevaeh.

"That's my guess. Cassandra hates adults with a passion due to how Greyson and Scarlett grew up. I wouldn't be surprised if she purposely wanted to kill her," Nevaeh remarked.

Trying to intentionally kill someone never crossed his mind at all when Cecile did what she did.

"Let's bring these fireworks and sparklers back. We need to ask Zane where they should be set," James said as he wobbly stepped back.

It almost seemed like Nevaeh's words sparked a truth inside of him. It had to be her. No earthquake had hit recently—and no one else could make one.

Bella's talk with Jason... our golden girl finally broke down too late.

I had to literally stop writing their conversation at least ten times because I kept crying. I'm going to miss writing this couple together...