The sky hung heavy and dark, a blanket of clouds that swallowed the stars. Only a distant fire near a large pond at the heart of Sunny's campground cut through the blackness. Its flickering glow casting shadows across the snow-dusted ground. This was just a small oasis inside the frozen wasteland known as The Bubble.

Jason kept watch while the others slept, his gaze moving over the trailers outlined faintly in the firelight.

The weather had finally started to warm, which was a small mercy that let everyone shed their heavy coats. Jason wasn't a weatherman, but he guessed it was around ten degrees Celsius, almost pleasant compared to the months of brutal cold.

Back when the adults had still been around, sunlight had seemed fearless, unthreatened by shadows that now stalked their world.

Now, as Jason sat before the fire, surrounded by chairs and faint laughter drifting nearby, he sighed.

Life continued in this hellish place somehow.

"You can't just sit out here waiting for your housewife to return," a teasing voice called.

Jason looked up to see Scarlett approaching, her swollen belly visible beneath her coat. He jumped off his feet, offering a chair, but she smirked and waved him off.

"I'm pregnant, not in a wheelchair."

"I'm not expecting—," he began, then caught himself.

"No, I'm expecting," she said dryly, pointing to her stomach.

It had been six months since the discovery. Someone in The Bubble was pregnant—a mystery, and a miracle. As it turned out, that someone was Scarlett. Despite her condition, she was still as sharp-tongued and striking as ever.

"I have to pee a lot," she said with a smirk. "But, I don't vomit anymore, which is fantastic."

"Ah..." Jason muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

"Would you like me to explain all the other strange changes with my body?" Scarlett asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, no!" he rushed.

She laughed.

"What rank is it?" he asked.

"High," she said simply.

The ranking system had been Scarlett's idea. It was a way to measure the strength of each mutant's power just by a touch of her hand. Only two people ranked at the top: Jason and Greyson, his twin brother.

Aside from them, the only others who could be considered high-ranking were Ashley or Divina.

"You can't tell anyone," Jason whispered.

Scarlett rolled her eyes and smirked. "Relax. I wasn't planning on shouting from the rooftops that my mutant baby is plotting to crawl out of my stomach."

It took him a moment to catch her sarcasm.

Despite months of division between Sunny's and Simcoe, an uneasy peace had held. Tension still flared between Greyson's plans and Ashley's presence, but for now, no one was fighting.

"It started kicking at five weeks," Scarlett continued. "That's earlier than normal. But the weird part? I can do things I couldn't do before. I'm still a low rank, but..."

Jason frowned. "What kind of things?"

"I went to grab a towel once, but it flew into my hand instead," she said. "You remember how I used to hear the voice? It's quiet now."

Jason's pulse quickened. This child might be their salvation. Or their destruction. Maybe it could stop Ashley before she turned their fragile peace into another massacre.

"Like extreme mutant powers?" Jason asked.

"Yes, which pregnancy is quite a bitch," she said, plucking a piece of dead grass from the ground. It thickened and grew between her fingers before she dropped it again. "That's one."

"It grows things like Divina?"

"Along with shrinking objects," she replied. "But I don't know what else it can do."

"Has Ashley located the baby?"

"I doubt it," Scarlett said, her voice darkening. "But she will eventually."

Jason froze as she grabbed his hand and pressed it against her stomach. A sharp kick responded to the contact—almost deliberate.

"I'm twenty-four weeks," she said, "almost twenty-five. I shouldn't be this big yet."

"You still look pretty," he said awkwardly.

Scarlett tilted her head. "Isn't it wrong to tell the bearer of your niece or nephew she's pretty?"

Jason flushed. "I didn't mean it like that."

"You need to learn to take a joke," she said with a smirk. "Anyway, the baby thinks Ashley's coming. I'm not saying send some huge abort mission, but it knows something."

Jason's stomach tightened. He wasn't ready to face Ashley. None of them were. She had gone silence for months, but silence was never safety.

"Does it know when?" he asked.

Scarlett shook her head, her fingers tightening around the armrest of the old lawn chair. "It's still a baby, Jason," she sighed. "If Ashley does come, I don't even want to know what she has planned." She slowly lifted herself out of the chair and faced him. "Well, I'm heading to bed."

"We'll set up some extra security," Jason commented.

He walked the campground, each step heavy with mind spinning in a thousand directions. Scarlett's pregnancy. The mutant child growing inside her. His brother. Ako tangled in a web too complex to unravel.

Sending a warning about Ashley's possible attack would change everything.

Peace between both sides were fragile, hanging by a thread. If Ashley showed up, it wouldn't just be about a fight. It would be a massacre waiting to happen.

"If you keep moping, you'll get wrinkles early," Nevaeh remarked, placing her hands on her hips.

"I'm not," he retorted, though the tremor in his voice said otherwise.

No one knew where Bella had gone. Her absence created a void—an unsettling mix of worry, confusion, and loneliness that gnawed at him. He felt the weight of unanswered questions pressing down and an overwhelming sense of longing.

"Have you heard any new news?" he asked.

"Other than you thinking Ashley is going to attack," Nevaeh slyly replied.

Jason didn't want to think about a plan to stop Ashley. He was plagued by countless questions, but he was unsure where to begin. However, he lacked the motivation to do so because everything just kept piling up.

"The broken soldier has lost his spirit," Nevaeh said, snapping her fingers. "It's not any easy thing to plan, so talk to Zane about it."

Despite Nevaeh's suggestion, he hesitated at the thought of pushing the issue onto Zane. There had been peace in their lives lately, but he still felt that longing for Bella. It had been months since he last saw her, and all she left him was a letter.

"She used you," Nevaeh implied. "Because the golden girl wanted to be who she had always been."

Listening was the last thing on his mind about the harsh truth that Nevaeh was so eager to spill. She always knew the latest gossip, the unspoken motivations, and the reasoning behind how something would happen. She had always been right about Bella and her actions.

"Bella lost her status as the popular one, which was something she always enjoyed. Scarlett took over her looks, while you took over popularity. She uses you because she's still selfish, then leaves her soldier to change. Eden doesn't seem bothered by her whereabouts."

"You asked Eden?" Jason asked.

"Eden couldn't care less about Bella's location," Nevaeh said. "Haven't you noticed she's always with those crackheads?"

Jason had seen the "crackhead crew," as they called themselves. Mia, Bryce, Will, and Eden were the wild teenagers who could be classified as delinquents.

"Uden Academy had a hard time controlling them, especially since Mia leads the wacky schemes," Nevaeh implied.

"Mia is the type of person who would shoot herself in the foot," he mumbled.

"Sorry, soldier," Nevaeh replied with a smirk. "But I've got no other information."

She could mind ready when she talked to someone. It had changed over the months, which is now a medium rank, according to Scarlett.

"It's fine," he sighed.

"I've heard Greyson is apparently irritated like a girl on her period," Nevaeh said, putting her hands behind her back. "I'm guessing that Greyson misses Scarlett because of obvious reasons. Emma has been doing well, forming a new friendship with Mark. I haven't heard about the voices."

Mark was among those who played an essential role by delivering fish that he caught. A handful of others fished regularly, making sure they received equal amounts for both sides.

Surprisingly, some seeds have been growing in the fields cleared of snow, but Jason assumed it might be the baby.

"Has Emma given any information?" Jason asked.

"Nope," Nevaeh said, setting both hands in the pockets of her grey sweatpants.

Jason feared Emma knew something. It had been like she always knew something, but Jason knew Emma would know when the terror would come.

In the plaza, Emma looked nervously toward Mark, who sat beside her on the cold, cement steps of the church. For months, the scene had remained unchanged, except for the slow retreat of snow as people finally grew tired of shovelling and pushing through the thick snow.

"Are you certain? That's a risk," Mark said.

"You know that feeling you get when you sit in a hot tub? It's that," Emma implied, placing a hand on her gut.

"So, you believe Ashley is going to start terrorizing again?" Mark asked. "Do you have any idea how to stop it?"

"We have to ambush, but I'm not good at teamwork," Emma rambled, running a hand over her face.

Would Ashley just burn them alive? No, that wasn't what she wanted. What Ashley wanted was the baby dead.

The baby had been faintly warming the temperature, yet the temperature remained slightly cold.

Emma assumed it wouldn't fully warm up until later, but that would be a year in this place.

"Maybe I'll fish up a shark to eat her," Mark joked. "Who are you going to tell?"

"I thought of Jason, but he isn't much of a planner," Emma replied, shaking her head. "That leaves Zane or Greyson."

She'd have to inform them about the panic, but Zane could plan. He's always been the one who could decide where someone should go or who shouldn't be on their own.

"See, we have to have freaks find her, along with those protecting Sunny's because of the mutant child," Emma rambled, holding her head in her hands. "We'd have to get most of the powerful freaks together. Then again, not everyone knows about the baby."

Greyson didn't know the baby was his.

That could change everything.

Preston hadn't told him the blunt truth, which Emma may have to present herself.

"There is still transportation to get to Sunny's, but this breaks the peace between the two," Mark said.

"I'm the alert system, so I know something is wrong," Emma explained, unsteady on the steps. "No better with all the darkness. Everything is dimly lit, but it's still a horror movie. If I tell Zane, he'll most likely pair Jason and Greyson together, but that won't work because they hate each other. Stick's helping where he can, while Esme is running all over. Jade could help, but then there's Angel, James, and Cindy." She began counting to add up all of the people. "Conner, Talia, Nevaeh, and Eden."

"We should go to Zane," Mark said. "Right?"

Anxiety was soaring in her body, but not from being used. One part of herself is still deeply affected by it. Despite overcoming the endless crying, her eyes still felt raw. She somehow stopped thinking about it. It wasn't the easiest because she was still insecure, even if she had been the healer around here.

Suddenly, she was jolted from her thoughts by the sound of crunching footsteps. Emma whipped around, scanning her surroundings anxiously; darkness had become a terror that constantly made her heart race.

Angel came to them. "It happened," he whispered.

Emma froze. "What?"

All of the kids. The daycare..." His voice broke. "They didn't make it."

The words didn't land first. Then they did—and her stomach dropped so hard it hurt.

The ten children who had remained in the daycare since Ilya's death had all died. Their passing was not merely the result of starvation but an illness. Emma suspected that the illness stemmed from the storm, though Hanna believed it was simply the flu.

"Bailey and I were going to head to Sunny's," Angel continued. "As you know, with Layla..."

Layla had tragically committed suicide, and she had used the exact drugs Ilya overdosed on. The shock was overwhelming for both Emma and the daycare staff, who were left dealing with the aftermath.

"We'll come with you," Mark said.

Emma followed them toward the car.

A lump formed in her throat.

She watched helplessly as lives seemed to flicker and fade away, each passing moment stretching painfully long as she followed them toward a red car parked nearby. It was an emergency vehicle for immediate needs or trading sides, but trading meant Maverick's illusions.

In the front seat of the vehicle, Angel allowed Mark to take the wheel. Meanwhile, Bailey sat in silence, her gaze fixed downward before she finally lifted her eyes to meet the unsettling quiet around them.

"Would you be willing to help with something?" Emma asked, turning herself back to look at Angel.

"Is the terror coming?" Angel asked.

Is this considered the end of the world for them all? Ashley finally gains all the powers to throw cars at them or slice their bodies open.

"We have to warn Zane, then Greyson. Well, that'd mean I'd have to go back to town with Zane and Jason." Emma began to ramble. "Split us into groups, but it's no easy process with the divided sides. It's not that we can shoot Ashley; we have to injure her badly. She'll be out to kill Scarlett out of us all, but Ashley has blurred vision, which helps us."

"She's really that desperate?" Mark asked.

Emma nodded. "The baby threatens both Divina and Ashley. It can bring the light back and decrease those followers, leaving Ashley only with those powers," she rambled.

"What happens if someone with powers dies?" Angel asked.

"I think it weakens her because the baby is the main power source behind it all. If the baby is killed, our chances of survival are over," Emma said, feeling chills run down her body.

"So, Scarlett being pregnant actually saved us in some twisted sense?" Angel asked.

"We'd all be dead because of that storm. It had everything that could kill a person," Emma said.

They walked to a car, where she set her head against the cold window, trying to concentrate on any of the voices. Those echoes of Divina, Ashley, or words from that baby. It was one baby that shouldn't be communicating through the mind, but she heard some of the things it said to Divina and Ashley.

Nothing came, which made her chew her lip. It's not that she knew if Zane or anyone else would be awake to panic with them. She needed to inform them all that Ashley is definitely coming, which means preparing.

"It looks pretty quiet," Bailey said.

Emma lifted her head slowly, her gaze sweeping across the campground. The area was stretched out before her, marked by a stillness that almost seemed unnatural. She scanned the distance and noticed a faint flicker of firelight against the darkened sky, and there were no guards up front.

The snow beneath her feet was noticeably thinner here than in Simcoe. It was also cleaner, with fewer things broken or debris from the various buildings that blew down.

"Okay, find Zane," Emma said.

She went to walk off, but the speed demon stopped her by knocking her off her feet.

"Hey, Emma!" Esme beamed with a smile. "Have you come to race?"

"I wouldn't race you," Emma mumbled, slowly standing.

"What's got you here with Mark, Angel, and Bailey?" Esme asked, peeking behind her as they barely moved from their spot.

"It's coming," Emma murmured.

Esme's eager grin faltered as she looked around at the different tents and trailers that were set up at the campsite. She went speeding through the dim campground as she came back with Zane.

"I feel it. Ashley definitely has all the powers." Emma rushed out, pacing back and forth.

"Are you sure?" Zane asked.

Emma nodded, heart racing. "We have to ambush her. Greyson doesn't know yet."

Zane took a breath before approaching the metal ladder leaning against a medium-sized bell. He climbed quickly and struck the bell with a firm hand. Its loud chime echoed across the campsite, instantly capturing people's attention.

Emma covered her ears as people flooded out of their trailers and tents.

Footsteps pounded. Voices overlapped.

She glanced up.

Faces were everywhere—wide-eyed, afraid, searching for answers.

Mark approached her as she began to pace again. "You have to calm down," he said.

"I think this is everyone," Zane remarked.

Emma's stomach tightened as she faced the crowd gathered.

A wave of dread hit her.

She couldn't ignore stares.

Normally, she could handle being the centre of attention in a small groups, but this was different.

"What's going on?" Someone called.

"Ashley's coming," Emma mustered out as whispers went through the crowd. "She wants everyone dead."

"Why?" someone called.

"Because Ashley wins if we're all dead. She has all our mutant powers, which means she has Jason's light or Greyson's telekinetic ability. If she senses correctly, she'll be here first," she said. "As I've said before, the mutant child can bring our light back, along with stopping Ashley somehow."

The baby could do basically everything they needed, but it wouldn't be born until a few months later. Emma knew they needed a plan with that in mind, especially with whatever Ashley pulls.

Emma's voice trembled as she faced the crowd. "We need to stop Ashley before she reaches Sunny's."

Silence fell over the group.

"That means working with Simcoe," she whispered, and her stomach knotted.

The word hung in the air like a cold warning. Nobody moved. Emma's heart pounded. Could they even survive that long?

Simcoe had fallen into a strange quiet, and River could feel the tension creeping in. Greyson—once calm, somewhat patient with answering questions—now snapped at the smallest inconveniences. What had started as subtle shifts—short answers, clenched fists—had grown into visible cracks in his restraint.

Once, a kid muttered that his fish was undercooked, and Greyson grabbed him with an invisible force and threw him straight into the snow. The boy didn't even have time to scream.

No one asked questions. No one dared.

"Why are people idiots?" Greyson muttered, slouched in the dark church.

The church had long since lost its purpose as a place of prayer. Now, it was Greyson's personal command post. Once a hive of updates and intel, it had gone still in recent weeks, like the calm before something worse.

A sudden shout broke the silence.

"Letter!" Will burst through the doors with a crumpled paper held high like a trophy.

"Give it here," Greyson demanded, snatching the letter as he rose to his feet, a smirk tugging at his lips. "My brother wants to meet. Probably about that thing called Ashley. Unless he's issuing a sudden fight."

River knew Jason wasn't after a fight. No one wanted to break the fragile peace they'd managed these past few months.

But in the shadow beyond Simcoe, Ashley was still out there, and she didn't care about peace.

Silence settled in the air as River's eyes wandered to the stained glass windows, their faded colours catching the faint glow of his light.

Suddenly, Cindy teleported into the middle of the church.

"What does my brother want?" Greyson snapped.

"It's about Ashley," Cindy said flatly. "Emma believes Ashley has developed every mutant power. If that's true, she'll come for the mutant child and us."

A cold shiver ran down River's spine. The thought that a ruthless girl like Ashley could end his life was terrifying.

More than anything, once they escaped this frozen hell, he wanted to confront the police about what his mother did to him.

Greyson raised an eyebrow. "Do they even know who has the mutant child?" he asked.

Cindy shook her head slowly, locking eyes with Greyson. Three was something unsaid in her silence, like she was hiding something. River couldn't tell if she knew more than she let on.

"Where's Emma?" Greyson demanded.

"At Sunny's," Cindy spat.

Bryce appeared in the chapel doorway. He leaned casually on the frame. "The healer wants to see you," he said. "It's about the mutant child. Important stuff."

River trailed behind Greyson as they left the dark church and descended the steps.

Outside, Emma paced nervously near the entrance, her gaze fixed on the snow as she muttered under her breath.

"What's the problem?" Greyson snapped.

Emma looked up abruptly. "Okay, Ashley is coming to kill the mutant child and people, but there has to be an alternative. We can't be just Sunny's and Simcoe."

River knew both sides had to work together. Conflict wasn't an option anymore. If they could unite, maybe he's finally get to see Nevaeh more often.

"And what if I don't want to?" Greyson asked with a frown.

"If you don't, the mutant child could die, and all of us too. More lives lost." Emma's voice faltered, then fell into an uneasy silence.

River blinked in surprise as fury flared across Emma's face. It was rare to see her angry. Usually, she buried the blame deep inside herself.

"Listen to the healer, you stupid human," Divina hissed through Emma's voice. "Are you intending to all die? That baby can't control everything inside its mother. If you'd hadn't noticed, the mutant child outranks you."

"That impossible," Greyson replied.

Divina's eyes narrowed.

"I've told you before—the mutant child is stronger than God and me combined. Haven't you heard it whispering in your head?" She hissed, tapping her finger to her temple.

Greyson's voice was cold. "Yes."

She stepped closer, scanning the empty plaza.

"Have you never tried connecting the dots? Thought about whose child it might be—especially since you're one of the few humans who hears the baby's voice?"

River couldn't tell if Divina's words were meant to taunt Greyson or just state a brutal fact. Whenever Divina spoke through Emma, it was always the unfiltered truth.

Greyson waved her off. "I'm one of the high ranks. It was bound to happen."

Divina tilted her head. "No, Greyson. That's not why. Have you ever considered you might be the father?"

River's eyes widened. He already knew the truth thanks to Bryce, who couldn't keep a secret. Bryce had told Mia, and Mia had told him: Scarlett was carrying the mutant child that saved them all.

Six months ago, River had witnessed a horrid snowstorm. The storm was unlike any other: violent winds, snow that burned people's skin, and freezing temperatures. Amidst the chaos, a deadly illness swept through that was triggered by inhaling the wind. People didn't just cough; they coughed up their lungs, intestines, and other organs.

Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the storm vanished without a warning.

Now, whispers floated through The Bubble of a secret no one dared speak aloud. The truth about who carried the mutant child. Those who knew kept silent, afraid it would shatter the peace.

"Spit it out," Greyson growled.

"You are the father of that child," Divina sneered. "Your lover carries the mutant inside her—and God wants it dead. Maybe that truth will snap your mind back in place."

Emma blinked rapidly, clutching her head. "Not again," she whispered.

River watched as Greyson gnawed on his pinky nail, his face a blank mask. Then, without a word, he spun on his heel and vanished into the dark.

"Wait, where's he going?" Emma asked, panic rising in her voice.

"Divina told him he's the father," River said quietly.

"No, no," she muttered, pacing in frantic steps.

"It said the baby outranks Greyson and Jason," River explained.

Emma's eyes widened in shock. "Now that Greyson knows, he'll probably confront Jason when they meet." She sank down onto the snowy ground. "I'm going to be swarmed with questions. The baby isn't due for months, but... what if the baby change its mind and—"

"If it senses danger, it can take control of Scarlett's body to protect itself," River said.

Emma bit her lip nervously. "That could keep Scarlett safe, but we don't really know how long. If it's limited, we'll need someone to guard her while Ashley's on the loose." She hesitated. "Then again, maybe that won't even become a problem."

River gaze swept across the dim plaza.

People huddled in corners, wrapping themselves in piles of debris, trying to carve a bit or comfort from the cold.

Others worked the fields, harvesting what little food had grown. A few goofed off in isolated corners, escaping the monotony.

Everyone had a role here. With no fights for six months, the days had taken on a strange, fragile rhythm.

Suddenly, Mia leapt onto his back. River flinched violently, jerking forward and sending her tumbling.

"You're still so tense," she said, flashing her usual dazed grin.

Every touch sent his nerves on fire. His hands trembled. His chest tightened, each breath a struggle.

Memories of his mother clawed through the fog of his mind. A shiver ran down his spine. For a moment, the world felt like it was closing in on him.

"I'm not taking your drugs," River said.

"Great choice," she teased, wagging a finger. "It's not my fault people used my drugs. Honestly, I'm pretty sure they were street meds for anxiety."

Eden emerged from the shadows. "All your drugs end up in the wrong hands," she said coolly. "Your idiotic mind should've realized that by now."

"Jesus freak's off to find the housewife," Mia teased, sticking her tongue out. "The crackhead crew is off to find her too. Bryce said we should all go because Eden will probably throw her in a ditch."

"Because she would," Bryce said, smirking as Will clung to his back.

"She belongs in a ditch," Eden said, her smile innocent but cold.

River watched the four of them burst into laughter. He didn't want to get on that crazy train, especially after seeing how much their behaviour had changed.

"Ashley might kill you!" Emma exclaimed, flailing her arms in panic.

Bryce approached Emma with a smirk and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.

"Let's bring highlighter with us," Mia pleaded, waving a hand toward River.

"Nah, we're too wild for him," Will said.

"Mia will be flicking that highlighter on and off," Bryce joked.

"She's armed with glow sticks," Will added with a grin.

Mia held a handful of purple glow sticks, clipping one around her head like a crown.

"Wait, where's Bella?" Emma asked.

"Guess who can see anyone's location?" Will said with a wink.

"You know where she is?" River gasped.

"Are you bringing her back to town?" Emma asked.

"If the housewife wants to come, because she probably misses her dear soldier," Bryce said, waving his hand dramatically.

"Did Greyson say you could?" River asked.

He watched all four stared blankly at him.

Over the past months, he'd seen their chaotic antics of jumping over random things or climbing trees. It was a comedy routine: Mia and Will got hurt, Bryce laughed, and Eden furious.

"We're always full of surprises," Will said, sticking out his tongue.

"I'm driving!" Bryce shouted, already sprinting toward the car.

"No!" Mia roared, sprinting after him. "You always drive! Let me try for once!"

"Tell Greyson we'll be back eventually," Will called, waving goodbye.

River doubted that was Greyson's biggest concern. Divina has revealed the mutant child was his, which he had been trying to uncover for months.

"I'm terrified of everything here," Emma mumbled.

She swallowed hard.

"Especially that mutant child being born into this place."

The terror has begun! Who knows what types of problems will occur...

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