"Okay, I think we're doing this right," Cindy said.

Scarlett had not expected to give birth three months early. The contractions felt like intense period cramps but worse. It was as if she were being stabbed over and over again.

Her heart raced, her hands trembling uncontrollably as her body seized with each contraction.

She groaned as another contraction tore through her. Her hands shook, and her heart pounded. She gritted her teeth, trying to focus, but the pain was overwhelming.

"What the hell do we do?" Nevaeh asked, turning to Cindy. "I've seen Fifteen and Pregnant with older sisters, but this is real life!"

"Do I look like a doctor?" Cindy snapped.

Scarlett's body locked up again, a sharp cry tear from her throat.

"What the hell is that?" Nevaeh freaked.

"It's a head!" Cindy snapped.

The world blurred. Pressure. Pain. Release.

A cry split the air.

"It's a girl," Nevaeh said, breathless. "Oh my god, she's slimy."

Cindy, shaking, fumbled as she cut the umbilical cord.

Nevaeh wrapped her in a towel, her small hands slippery.

Scarlett collapsed back against the wall, her entire body trembling with exhaustion.

The crying softened.

The baby opened her bright blue eyes and instinctively latched onto her.

Warmth spread through Scarlett's body, dulling the pain—though the exhaustion remained.

"Yeah, I don't think I'll have kids," Nevaeh remarked as she stood.

"You have to name her," Cindy said.

There were multiple names that had come up in her mind. There were Natalia, Lydia, and Alyssa. No, she remembered the name she liked.

"Cassandra," Scarlett declared.

"You need a middle name?" Nevaeh said, bouncing over.

Cindy attempted to clean up the area, but it wasn't exactly working considering there were other stains on the ground.

"Delilah."

"That's fitting," Nevaeh said, waving a finger at her and leaning against the cement wall.

Strangely, the pain faded—too quickly. Within seconds, it was entirely gone.

Scarlett frowned. That wasn't normal.

"All of the blood is gone," Cindy remarked.

"You were wiping it all up," Nevaeh said.

The blood—and everything else—was gone.

Not wiped away. Not smeared.

Just gone.

"Did the baby..." Cindy trailed off.

"You guys do realize that Ashley's plans have failed," Nevaeh said.

Ashley's plans failing was a miracle, but Scarlett wanted to be a good mother to Cassandra. Yet she knew her daughter was putting a pause on Ashley's endgame.

Cassandra stared up at her. Scarlett couldn't help but notice the soft brush of dark brown hair. It seemed a bit darker than her own dark chocolate hair.

"Should we stay here or head back?" Nevaeh asked.

"I don't want to take the risk of going out there," Cindy explained.

Scarlett held out her finger.

Cassandra's tiny hand wrapped around it.

For a moment, she seemed normal.

"Should we tell Zane, or do you want me to tell Greyson?" Cindy asked.

"I'll tell Greyson unless he finds out somehow," Scarlett said.

When Scarlett awoke, something felt wrong.

She looked down and froze.

A small toddler lay curled in her lap, wrapped in the same towel.

Scarlett's breath caught.

Cassandra was not an ordinary who would take years to grow. She could obviously increase her age through food or sleep.

Stick quietly opened the door, looking around to stare blankly at the sight. "I thought you just had her?" he inquired softly.

"Increasing age," Scarlett whispered.

Her gaze fell upon spotted the bag Stick had brought close by. She leaned slightly over to retrieve a long Roots zip-up sweater. She attempted to slide Cassandra's arms through the sleeves, but it was too big.

She wondered if Cassandra had to reach a certain age to have all her powers. Perhaps it wasn't even that, but she wished to be a teenager like her and Greyson. This child, however, is hers with him. Some features looked identical to her own, but Cassandra had Greyson's jaw and eyes.

When Cassandra opened her eyes, she smiled. "Mama," she said with an angelic voice.

Scarlett smiled, feeling warmth within her at the sight of her daughter. She gently lifted Cassandra into a sitting position to zip up the rest of the hoodie. Scarlett grabbed some old socks from the bag while Cassandra fed off her again.

This child wanted to grow and she needed food to do it.

Scarlett could feel it somehow. Feeding wasn't just survival for Cassandra.

It was power.

When Nevaeh awoke, she screamed. "How on earth is she a toddler?"

Cassandra stared in curiosity, looking around the room. "Light," she said, pointing at the glowing lantern.

"We don't have any of that," Scarlett said.

Cassandra held up her arms as Scarlett held her, standing slowly. "Outside, Mama," she chimed.

Scarlett was hesitant, but Cassandra definitely knew what she was doing. Cassandra peered around in the darkness that covered the entire sky. Scarlett noticed the temperature had warmed slightly.

"Blue, purple, pink, or orange?" Cassandra asked, pointing a chubby finger at the sky.

Scarlett's eyebrows furrowed. Cassandra's knowledge of the colours was frightening itself, considering she looked barely two years old. She didn't quite understand what she was implying, but the way she kept looking up and down at the sky.

"Any colour?" Scarlett asked. "Pink."

She watched Cassandra's finger rise.

A small white light flickered at her fingertip.

Light spilled outward, filling the entire bubble.

Scarlett squinted against the brightness but stared with wide eyes at the sight.

The once pitch-black sky shifted—bleeding into soft pink, streaked with faint traced of blue, like a sunrise that shouldn't exist.

"Light," Cindy said in disbelief.

Scarlett could clearly see the lake and even patches of lingering snow. All around them, the incredible glow of the pink sky enveloped their surroundings, while beams from the sun peered through the fading clouds.

"No way..." Nevaeh whispered.

"That baby is going to keep growing," Cindy remarked.

Scarlett knew Cassandra would continue until she wanted to stop. She probably had her own knowledge already on what she wanted to do, but she wasn't going to abandon her child for being a mutant.

Scarlett sensed Ashley wasn't done with tormenting them. She'd either go after her own child or flee. It's highly unlikely Ashley would flee now but would still be out to kill.

She knew that Cassandra could sense danger or even bring things into The Bubble. She looked down at her sleeping child with a smile. She was happy because she held her and cared for her.

"Do you think she'd get rid of that?" Cindy asked, pointing at the illusion of the extended lake.

"Or seeing the outside world," Nevaeh remarked.

"I don't think that's Cassandra's concern," Scarlett stated. "She'll focus on Ashley."

Cassandra wasn't talking in her head, but she knew what to do. She may not know everything about them, but she has some plans. Scarlett knew where that determination came from without having to name it.

"We'll stay here one more night and then head back to camp unless Cassandra has other ideas," Scarlett said.

It wasn't that they had any idea what to do. Cassandra is the mutant child that is apparently supposed to be stronger than Ashley and Divina combined. Scarlett just wanted to keep her child safe.

All three of them froze, eyes wide, staring at the sky above. The world around them was surreal—the snow-melted ground glistened, and a soft pink light painted the charred ruins in an otherworldly glow.

"The child is born," Emma whispered, her hands trembled as she circled around the cratered plaza.

"What's the next step?" Jason asked.

Emma froze mid-step when Greyson flicked his finger, and she stumbled to the ground with a groan.

"I don't know; I'm guessing," she said, motioning her hands around Simcoe.

The fire that had once blazed was now gone. Buildings were nothing more than skeletal frames silhouetted against the pink sky. Trees were charred, their branches stripped bare. Houses all burned to ash. There were dead bodies all over the ground with the snow mostly melted.

"So, the light was created by the child?" Greyson inquired.

"Ashley's probably going to still kill unless the child does something," Emma murmured.

"Isn't Cindy supposed to come get you?" Jason asked, frowning.

"She's probably with the child," Emma murmured.

Greyson started to walk to peer through some trees, seeing a walking body. "She's up," he said, walking at an unnoticeable distance.

"I can feel Ashley's fear," Emma said quickly.

From where they walked, Ashley had her fingers twitching, still firing off that light. It seemed weaker than before while she looked back and forth.

"Her endgame is screwed," Greyson stated.

Ashley clenched her jaw and kicked an empty bucket. It clanged against the ground, echoing through the ruined plaza.

Her eyes scanned the charred buildings—once engulfed in flames, now only faint sparks lingered.

The fire had died back almost completely, as if someone had sprayed the entire area with water. A thick layer of ash mixed with slush coated the ground.

Finally, she stopped in the centre of the plaza. It didn't look like the same place where he had fought Jason. Most of the buildings and houses lay ashes, scattered across the ground.

"Definitely rattled," Greyson said.

They watched as Ashley began to pace back and forth. It wasn't just a simple matter of killing Scarlett and the baby, but she couldn't anymore.

"Should we head back?" Jason asked.

"No, because we have to confront her," Greyson said, returning his gaze. He walked through the bushes as Jason hurried to catch up.

Ashley eyes blazed with fury as she spotted him. "Why is the sky pink?" she snapped, her palms raised toward them.

"I'm pretty sure you should know," Greyson retorted coldly, using his powers to send her hurtling backward into the wreckage of Burger King.

"Stop toying with me!" she barked, speeding toward them in a flash.

Jason fired a beam of his light towards Ashley.

At the same moment, Greyson used an invisible hand to yank a jagged chunk of drywall from the rubble and slammed it down on her.

Ashley stumbled, skin blistered, and smouldering, blood seeping from jagged cuts. She gritted her teeth.

"What's the child doing?" She spat, her eyes directed at him.

"I don't know," Greyson said.

He hadn't seen Scarlett give birth, yet he could feel the baby's intent radiating in his body. It wasn't speaking in his mind, but that didn't matter—an intelligence this raw didn't need words. Whatever plan it had, it wasn't just painting the sky pink; it was rewriting the rules.

"It's game over, God," Emma said, who wasn't really Emma.

She walked toward them with a devious grin, her eyes directed at Ashley.

"It's not over until the barrier is down!"  Ashley spat.

Diviva laughed, circling them. "Don't you feel it? The child's power isn't for the humans to sense, but we can. And it has a goal. Two places: you and the parents. All your flames? Reduced to ash. The light? Resorted. So what now? Keep attacking these humans while the mutant child stops you? Or hide like the pathetic god you are."

Ashley fired at Emma but instead of hitting her, the shot reflected off Emma's burning light and stuck Ashley instead. It made Ashley scream, as she fell.

"Well, congratulations," Jason stated.

Emma stumbled back, looking at the two of them with knitted eyebrows.

Greyson stood with his lips pressed together, slowly nodding while chewing on his pinky nail. The entire thought filled his mind with such confusion that he didn't even know where to start.

"We need to find that baby," Jason said, voice tight. "See what it's doing... or at least check on Scarlett."

"We can't just walk there," Emma paced, chewing her lip. "I don't even know if anyone's coming for us."

Greyson's eyes flickered to the road. "You mean like that."

They looked over, seeing a car slowly drive toward them. It stopped a small distance away from them with someone getting out of the car.

"Oh please... don't be Mia," Jason muttered.

The person they saw, of all people, was James.

"Wait, it isn't burning here?" he asked.

"Baby stopped it," Jason said.

Greyson glanced out of the corner of his eye to see Ashley rolling up on her feet. "Go!" he snapped.

All of them dashed towards the car, climbing in before speeding off. As James drove, Greyson could finally see the area around him that had barely any snow left. The pink sky reflected off the surface as creating a glow that illuminated the road ahead.

"We need Emma mostly because Esme was hurt badly," James rambled. "Zane wanted you two to come back so you guys could find Scarlett and the baby."

"Zane said they're at Wasaga Beach. We'll drop you off," Conner grumbled, arms crossed.

The baby is still supposed to be a baby, which is considered a day old. It was something like that, but it still filled Greyson's mind with confusion.

Mia called out from the top of the car. "Look how pretty the sky is!"

River had already brought the car to a stop when he noticed the sky shifting. It glowed in sweeping shades of pink and orange, the colours spilling across the horizon and swallowing the remnants of the darkness.

It was like stepping into one of these surreal paintings he'd seen in art galleries—sunsets so vibrant they almost didn't seem real.

"Who turned the lights? I thought that was your thing?" Mallory asked, pointing at him.

River froze, confusion washing over him. The sky was entirely pink, flawless, without a single cloud to interrupt the expanse. As the sun edged up over the horizon, its rosy glow bathed everything in light.

"Well... I don't think the town's burning either," Preston said, squinting into the distance.

River turned, scanning the horizon of any sign of chaos. There was no black smoke rising, no raging flames consuming burning everything in its path. The place looked almost peaceful.

"Wait, doesn't that mean the baby is born?" Mia asked dumbly.

"Is that the first intelligent thing Mia's ever said?" Bryce inquired.

"Okay, I've said plenty of intelligent things!" Mia started, but she searched for an answer.

Will let out a laugh, shaking his head. "No, you haven't."

Mia's eyes lit up. "Can we go find the baby? I wanna see it!" she begged, nearly falling off of the car.

How does explaining that this place is hell compare to explaining the joy of a teenager giving birth? River wasn't exactly sure. His thoughts were a jumbled mess, but he noticed Eden trying to stifle a laugh. It wasn't Mia's behaviour, but someone else's.

"Why the horrified expression, Bella? A child coming into the world is a blessing," Eden taunted.

"It's not that..." Bella trailed off.

"Please! Please! I want to see it!" Mia whined like a child, jumping down from the top of the car.

"She wouldn't be at camp because Zane wanted to send her off," Mallory said with pressed lips.

"They'd probably go to Wasaga Beach," River blurted without a thought.

It was probably considered the safest place that anyone could go at this point. The lake wasn't frozen but it didn't have waves, and at least there one change room might be intact—though he wasn't exactly sure because Cecile had said these beaches were disgusting.

"Let's go!" Mia screeched, whipping the car door open quickly.

"If the car runs out of gas, we'll just walk," Bryce said with a smirk.

"Um... are we sure we should see it?" Bella interjected.

"Okay, all in the car but Bella," Eden said with an innocent smile.

"I'm being realistic!" Bella exclaimed.

River opened the driver's door and climbed back into his seat. This entire journey had been insane—first their trip to the power plant, then their failed attempt to reach Sunny's. Now they were heading to see a baby that had just been born.

"Pick or choose housewife. Don't you want to see a baby?" Eden taunted.

Bella shot Eden a glare from the backseat. "It was just born," she spat.

"Yes, which means they are cute, unlike your attitude," Mia stated, as River laughed unintentionally. "See, even the highlighter agrees."

River started the car, pressing his lips together. He didn't know what to expect if he drove to Wasaga Beach. They may encounter the baby or be wrong and be stranded at the beach that probably has soggy sand.

"Are you scared your soldier will be there?" Eden sneered.

"He won't be there," Bella said.

"It's the mutant child, which means Zane will send them there," Bryce said.

"Okay, head to the change rooms," Mallory said, sitting on the floor.

River gripped the wheel. He'd never been to Wasaga Beach, but he knew it was usually busy with boats skimming across the water.

"We won't have enough gas between the beach and Sunny's," he warned.

Mia rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "Then we walk."

River glanced at the sky, its pink-orange glow stretching endlessly, as if the world itself had been dipped in paint. For a moment, he forgot this place was enclosed with a barrier.

He thought about what society might have looked like if he'd never escaped his mother. And then he remembered: here, he wasn't just a model or Cecile's son. He was someone else.

His own body was the light that people relied on. It wasn't the bright blue sky, because maybe this child didn't like that idea. He didn't understand how this whole mutant child worked; other than that, it was powerful.

"There it is!" Mia's voice cut through his thoughts.

River slowed, bringing the car to a gentle stop near a metal entrance sign. Rust had eaten away most of its edges, and the faded letters were barely readable. The lake stretched beyond, its surface sparkling in the surreal light.

Mia jumped from the car, sprinting across the sandy patch like she was racing the wind.

"It's your fault if you trip!" Bryce shouted after her.

River followed at a slower pace, letting his eyes drink in the transformed landscape. The ice that had locked the lake for months had vanished, leaving a smooth sand glistening under the pink sky. Small waves lapped quietly at the shore, and the air smelt faintly of water.

"Stick!" Mia screeched. "Where's the baby?"

"With Scarlett," Stick replied.

"Tell her I'm here to see her baby," she groaned.

Stick stood awkwardly near the change room before knocking on the door. River walked over with Mark and Mallory. He did not know what to expect, but he assumed a tiny baby that might be a day old.

Scarlett stiffly stepped out of the change room. She wasn't alone; at her side stood a young girl who looked around five years old, and holding into Scarlett's hand.

"Wow!" Mia exclaimed.

The girl had wavy, dark brown hair that flowed past her shoulders. She wore an oversized sweater, and some kid sweatpants that looked too big. Her blue eyes scanned the group of them with a mix of curiosity and caution.

"Why are there so many people, Mommy?" Cassandra asked.

"Let me hold her!" Mia pleaded, intently staring at the bright-eyed girl.

"Wait, why is she five?" Mark asked.

"I can increase my age," she beamed with an angelic smile.

River stared at Cassandra with knitted eyebrows. If she could increase her age, that also meant she could probably free them from this place.

Mia poked Cassandra's cheek eagerly. "Test one of your cool powers on us!" she exclaimed.

Cassandra approached Bella, staring up at her.

"Um..." Bella trailed off.

"Aren't you the housewife?" Cassandra asked, tilting her head with curiosity.

"I'm not a housewife," Bella snapped, crossing her arms.

Cassandra's eyes narrowed. She raised two fingers deliberately, and in an instant, Bella shrank to the size of a toy. Cassandra held her effortlessly by one arm, dangling her in the air.

"Whoa," Bryce said.

"What did you do?" Will asked.

"I shrunk her size," Cassandra said, handing Bella to Eden.

River watched Eden shake Bella violently in her hand as Cassandra went back to Scarlett. This wasn't normal behaviour for a child, but then again, this was a mutant child.

"She can grow and shrink anything," Scarlett stated with Cassandra by her side.

Nevaeh and Cindy came out of the change room, staring at all of them. River didn't realize how many of them there had actually been.

"Where's the housewife?" Nevaeh asked.

"I'm pretty sure she has vomit on her," Mia said, holding her up by a finger.

"I think that's enough," Scarlett sighed.

Cassandra flicked a finger as Bella reverted to her normal size, landing on the ground and coughing on her hands and knees.

"I'm pretty sure Eden killed her," Bryce remarked.

"Screw you," Bella spat, her eyes spinning.

River squinted, trying to figure out if Bella's glare was aimed at Eden or Cassandra. He assumed both, but mostly Eden because of her unhinged behaviour.

Cassandra spoke next, her voice calm. "I've heard some stories about things here. Mom has told me about some of the people."

River's mind spun. Did this girl really want to be a teenager instead of a child? Then again, things that seemed impossible here were possible.

"For gossip?" Bella asked.

"No," Cassandra answered, her sharp eyes scanning all of them. "Information on people, so I'm not calling people random names. I know the names of people who died from injuries or battles: Ashley, Divina, and followers. The point being, I'm determined to protect those I care about."

Cassandra wrapped both her arms around Scarlett's waist and rested her forehead on her side. Scarlett smiled down at the girl, brushing a handful gently through her hair.

"Do you have a plan?" River asked.

"Multiple plans," Cassandra stated.

River could agree that she was a lot like Greyson; always thinking ahead and preparing what comes next. That meant she probably had a backup plan for all the tasks and challenges that lay ahead in their current situation.

"Ashley burned all of Simcoe," Mark implied.

"I put the fire out. She can't hide from me," Cassandra said.

"Ashley's probably going to head to Sunny's next," River said.

"I know that," Cassandra stated flatly. "That's why I'm growing, so my powers get stronger."

Scarlett didn't appear surprised by Cassandra revelation, but everyone else did. They were aware Cassandra had powers far beyond what they could expect from someone so young. Plus, now only would she age physically, but also amplify her powers.

"You guys should get back to camp," Cindy urged.

"Right, we have to start walking," Mia called, holding up a fist.

They had to walk back to camp because they didn't have any gas left. At least they could actually see where they were going instead of tripping on snowbanks.

"Let me hold her before we go," Mia pestered, holding her arms out.

Scarlett rolled her eyes but carefully guided Cassandra for Mia to hold.

"Your hair is soft," Mia said, playing with Cassandra's dark hair.

"Your hair is burned," Cassandra remarked.

"Bella's too, because Ashley set the car on fire," Mia implied.

In that moment, Cassandra reached her arms back towards Scarlett,  who took her in her arms. The little girl nestled into Scarlett's embrace, both filled with contentment. It was a rare moment a way from snarky comments or challenging smirks; instead it was happiness.

River wasn't good with relationships. It wasn't just romance, but all kinds. He found it difficult to connect with others because he didn't know how. His interactions as a model were superficial rather than genuine friendship.

Cecile made sure he met her expectations. She expected him to smile a certain way and avoid junk food. Every time he did sneak junk food, he would throw up out of fear and disgust with himself.

"Come back to camp soon!" Mia called, tripping over her shoes.

Will began dragging her by her hood as they walked away from the four near the change room.

River glanced back, wondering when he'd be able to form real relationships. He knew that once they got out of this place, he was planning to press charges against his mother for sexual assault and abuse.

In this place, people knew him by a nickname: Highlighter. They didn't see him as the perfect male model or the son of the infamous Cecile Dunlop. Instead he was just another freak.

He looked over as Will pushed Mia down in the snow. Bryce and Eden bursted into laughter a the sight, their carefree attitudes completely unbothered by societal norms or expectations. They were unconcerned about their public image, which was the definition of crazy.

Despite the horror and death that surrounded them in this place, he wasn't trapped by Cecile. Even if they all felt like some zoo animal trapped in their cages, he got to roam free.

He would do whatever he pleased with people that his mother would consider insane. Yes, they were, but that became the fun. Something in his life had never been, even if he had all the money or fame any teenager wanted.

That's why, when Scarlett and Greyson went to the island, he didn't care what they did.

Preston and Mallory did help when they accidentally blew up the microwave while attempting to cook a potato. The leftover potato somehow landed all over the wall that he had wiped up.

"Okay, let's try not to die!" Mia cheered.

River's eyes lingered on Cassandra and Scarlett. Even with Ashley still out there like a dangerous shadow, he felt a small spark of hope. Maybe he could figure out what real relationships meant. All of it would be his own choice, not his disgusting mother's.

The baby has been born! However, it looks like they'll have to deal with a second Greyson.