People gathered in shock and awe, their eyes fixed on Cassandra as if she were a celebrity stepping out of a dream.

Whispers rippled through the crowd—some amazed, others unsettled—at how she had suddenly matured into the teenager she was always meant to become.

She was no longer a baby or toddler confined by helplessness, but a girl capable of contributing, commanding, and changing everything.

"Hello, everyone," Cassandra said, flashing a smile. "I know this is a shock, but it's all part of my mutant powers."

She had spent hours adjusting to the overwhelming sensations that surged through her newly transformed body. Though she didn't yet understand the limits of her power, one fact had settled firmly in her mind: she would never age beyond fifteen.

She raised a finger.

"Ashley strongest power isn't just your abilities, but her followers. We divide into teams. Anyone willing to abandon her gets a chance. Anyone who refuses becomes a threat. Once her followers are dealt with, we'll focus on the host body."

That was how it had to be. Her parents had clawed their way out of Ashley's chaos, one brutal step at a time. No one had the right to object now—not when she refused to stand by while others ignored the truth. This was the only path forward, and Cassandra knew it with unshakable certainty.

"What if we don't want to help?" Maverick shouted from the crowd.

Cassandra met Maverick's stare without even blinking.

"Then don't help."

She swept her gaze across the crowd.

"Just don't expect Ashley to spare you."

She had seen the kind of recklessness her parents called idiotic—especially when people didn't listen. Like Luke, one of Ashley's followers, who once tried to force open the power plant with nothing but his flimsy, mutated arm. It didn't work. All it did was leave a mark.

"I'm saying this is our way out," she began, "even if not everyone agrees. Going alone? You're more likely to die." Her voice hardened. "We have to work together to stop that psycho. She's got mutant powers that could burn you alive or toss you around like a doll."

Murmurs spread through the crowd.

Some nodded.

Others exchanged nervous glances.

Hope and fear fixed into equal measure.

Cassandra knew this host body could wait. She wasn't ready to face that challenge yet, especially with Divina's plans looming in the background.

Suddenly, Cassandra sensed a mental intrusion—someone trying to manipulate her mind. Her eyes darted through the crowd until they fixed on the boy who had spoken out. He was projecting illusions, attempting to distract her mind. She snapped her fingers, which sent him screaming while everyone looked startled.

"Stop disrupting my speech," Cassandra snapped. "Like I said, we can't afford any more deaths."

Though she knew some wouldn't listen, Cassandra didn't hesitate. She leapt from the wagon, effortlessly rising into the air, her legs crossed as she hovered.

She scanned the crowd—some huddled together in fear, others standing apart, their eyes constantly searching for any sign of Ashley. She recognized many faces and names from her parents' memories, though several remained strangers to her.

"Zane will organize side groups to either persuade or confront the followers," she declared.
"That's the plan. Meanwhile, I'll be busy doing something with my father and Jason."

Cassandra wasn't exactly sure if her plan would work, but given what she hoped to accomplish, it was the best course of action she had.

"I've taken down one follower," Cassandra said firmly. "I'm determined to defeat this thing, just like many of you."

Cassandra gently lowered herself onto the wagon, landing gracefully like a fairy. As she scanned the crowd, she recognized several faces—many wielding powers or aided at Uden Academy before.

She hadn't just glimpsed memories of people's names and powers but also the tangled relationships. She noticed how Jason and her father seemed to despise each other, their constant fighting a clear sign. She also recalled how her mother almost narrowly escaped being shot by one of those followers—an enemy Cassandra herself had destroyed.

Stepping off the wagon, Cassandra planted both hands firmly on her hips. Unlike the others, she looked healthy and clean, thanks to the power that accelerated her growth through a balance of eating and sleeping. Yet she knew this cleanliness was temporary; her worn, dirty clothes told a different story.

Scarlett came walking towards her. "I'm going to talk to your father," she said.

Cassandra glanced around uncertainly. She knew most people's name and their powers.

She had even absorbed her parents' opinions about certain people.

But deciding who to talk to first?

That was something memories couldn't teach.

"Where's Scarlett?" Cindy asked.

Cindy, who had been present at Cassandra's birth and possessed the supernatural power of teleportation, was trusted by her parents—especially since she had played a crucial role during her mother's pregnancy.

"Talking with my father," Cassandra replied.

"What exactly did you do to Maverick?" Cindy asked.

"I reflected his power back at him," Cassandra said calmly.

"So, you plan to sleep first, then head to the barrier that's surrounding us?" Cindy asked.

"That's the plan: rest early so I can begin what needs to be done," Cassandra said, spinning lightly on the toe of her shoe.

"What plan is this?"

Cassandra smiled and shook her head. "It's a secret."

She was determined to keep her plan hidden—not just from Jason and her father but from everyone. To her, secrecy wasn't just caution; it was the only way to think clearly and act decisively without interference.

Cindy's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "It's not something deadly, is it?" she asked.

"It's something that needs to be done," Cassandra repeated.

Did Cindy not trust her response, or did she believe it to be dangerous? It wasn't exactly that they would be in danger, but some might be.

Her mother had told her about the outside world. It was filled with much more than just burned buildings, destroyed landscapes, and broken cars. Well, she wasn't exactly sure whether any adults rested outside the barrier.

Cassandra did not like the sound of adults, but she knew what she had to do.

Before Cindy could ask another question, Cassandra vanished in a flash of light.

She reappeared before the shimmering barrier.

The false horizon stretched endlessly before her.

It was time.

She reached out and pressed a finger against it as white light burst from her fingertips.

Hairline cracks raced across the barrier like lightning trapped beneath glass.

The false field flickered.

Another crack.

Then another.

The illusion began to collapse.

"I told you time's up," Cassandra declared sharply.

Ashley's voice exploded in her head.

"I'll still kill everyone!"

Cassandra pressed two fingers together, her eyes locked on the surge of brilliant white light expanding in every direction. The illusion around her splintered, breaking apart like a shattered eggshell, its fragments dissolving in the night.

"Stop!" Ashley's scream echoed inside Cassandra's mind.

"I won't stop until you're erased," Cassandra said coldly.

"You wouldn't dare," Ashley growled.

"Look at how much of a coward you are, God. You can't even bear the thought of what that mutant child might do," Divina snarled from within her mind.

It felt as though the three of them were standing face to face—but the battlefield was entirely inside Cassandra's mind.

"Aren't you the frightened one now, goddess?" Ashley barked.

"Of course, but I'm not cowering," Divina snarled. "Doesn't that just reveal your own panic? I can't wait until I get to work with that mutant child. After all, I get to choose whose body I possess."

"Regardless of who you take, you won't inherit their powers."

"Don't you get it? Once I choose a body that gives itself up, I get my powers back. That's when we'll kill you. Try to kill all those humans, but you have a new blockage. Plus, if she's just like her father, she won't be changing her goal anytime soon."

Cassandra closed her eyes.

The world vanished.

Everything dissolved into darkness as she stood in an endless black void.

To her right stood Ashley.

To her left, Divina appeared in his male illusion.

Though they masked their emotions behind anger or mockery, it was clear they were terrified.

"I'm going to destroy you two monsters," Cassandra spat defiantly.

To Cassandra, they were nothing more than monsters, filled with malice and chaos. Divina's past deeds, whether sealing holes or torturing Ashley, held no redeeming value. Those acts weren't kindness; they were just cruel games meant to torment Ashley.

Ashley snarled, "You're pathetic if you really believe you can stop me."

Cassandra slowly raised her palms, spreading her fingers as Ashley and Divina's bodies lifted off the ground, their eyes wide with shock.

"Let me down, idiot!" Divina barked.

A beam of white light formed in her hand.

It blazed against the darkness.

Then she fired.

The light slammed into Ashley and Divina in a single, blinding flash.

They screamed as they fell from the air, crashing to the ground.

Cassandra approached slowly, hands resting firmly on her hips. The two twitched side by side on the ground.

The only ones affected by the light were the Fallen Stars, who struggled to stand.

"Your games end here," Cassandra declared. "I will stop both of you. No matter what it takes."

She could hear their thoughts of unspoken fears and hidden information around her mind. Among those thoughts were things they kept from everyone else, including Emma. It was clear they were terrified that if this information came to light, everyone would know the truth.

She opened her eyes.

The voices were gone.

Silence returned.

Soon enough, the time would come for someone to die.

Lying back on the narrow RV bed, Jason dragged a hand over his face.

Teaming up with Greyson and Cassandra had never been part of the plan.

He'd wanted to stay out of it and keep his distance, but that option had disappeared once she grew to their age.

From what he had seen of teenager Cassandra, it was clear she had Greyson's tenacious personality. It was strange, but she wasn't going to let him stay behind.

Whatever her goal was, it started with the barrier.

"Seriously," he muttered under his breath.

He couldn't just take on any job anymore; he was stuck with the one that could be the most dangerous of all.

A sharp knock broke the silence. Jason pushed himself upright and pulled the trailer door open.

Bella stood there.

Jason forgot how to breathe.

Six months disappeared in an instant, replaced by the memory of seeing her every day.

The reality caught up with him, and the ache in his chest returned.

"Can we talk?" Bella asked.

He stepped aside silently, letting her in. The trailer door swung shut behind her with a metallic slam.

She crossed the opposite end of the narrow, red-cushioned bench and sat down, shoulders tense.

He remained seated on the opposite bench.

The first thing he noticed was her hair.

It had been cut short by fire rather than scissors, the ends uneven and brittle.

Her gloves were off. Pale scars stretched across the back of her hands, twisting over her knuckles.

He remembered those hands before the storm.

They hadn't looked like that.

"It's been a while," she said awkwardly.

It had been six months since she's left. She hadn't even told him in person—just a single note, delivered by Bryce. According to the letter, she'd left to "change," but the truth was she'd left without ever giving a clear reason for their breakup.

"Yeah," he said.

Nevaeh had filled in the gaps later. Mind-reading made that easy—she'd picked through Esme's thoughts from the day she went with Bryce and Emma to get the letter.

"I needed to isolate myself," Bella began, looking down at her fingers. "To figure things out."

"Did you?" Jason asked.

Bella didn't answer immediately. When she finally looked up, there was something distant in her eyes.

"I'm a selfish person," she murmured.

"How'd they end up finding you out there?" Jason asked.

"I ran out of food." She kept her eyes on her hands.

Jason had missed her every day since she'd left.

That part hadn't changed.

What had changed was everything wrapped around it.

The irritation.

The questions.

The way she left without saying anything to his face.

She hadn't disappeared for some noble reason. She'd left because he'd been dismissive. She had tried to protect him, to keep him safe. And she had scars on her hands to prove it.

Emma hadn't been able to heal Bella's hands. The effort had left her overwhelmed and nauseous.

"They said they found you falling over," Jason said, his voice flat.

"Lack of food," Bella replied.

Bryce had said they'd found her walking through a field, miles from where she'd been actually staying. She'd looked like River had when Nevaeh and Bella first found him—weak, dazed—but not frostbitten.

"I needed to think about some things. Fix myself..." she trailed off.

"I've just been here," Jason said flatly.

"I should've come sooner."

Jason let out a quiet breath. "For what?"

"To see you."

Jason opened his mouth but nothing came out. There was a small part of him that wanted to tell her to leave, but the rest of him wanted to pretend she'd never gone.

"I know trapping you was wrong," Bella said, her voice tightening. "I shouldn't have taken that choice from you."

She moved closer, and Jason felt the heat of her presence. One of her hands lifted to his cheek, but then she froze, her fingers hovering there. Her eyes searched his, filled with uncertainty.

Jason's heart pounded. He shouldn't but he couldn't stop from wanting this.

Bella hesitated, close enough now that he could see it clearly.

Jason gave a small nod.

That was all it took.

When their lips met, it wasn't smooth or easy—it was rushed, uneven, like neither of them quite knew where they stood anymore.

One hand stayed on his cheek.

The other caught the front of his shirt, gripping the fabric tightly and sending shivers down his spine.

He pulled back just enough to search her face.

"Are you sure?"

Her eyes met his.

She answered by closing the distance between them.

In that moment, he realized he'd spent six months trying to convince himself he could move on.

He couldn't.

The hurt and the questions were still there.

But so was everything he'd felt before she'd left.

Loving Bella had never been easy.

It certainly wasn't now.

Even so, he wasn't ready to let go again.

The dimly lit campsite of Sunny's was filled with people staring silently into the fires. Greyson glanced around, already knowing his objective was after everything Scarlett had told him.

Near the water, Cassandra crouched at the edge, idly tracing patterns along the surface.

Cassandra was his mutant daughter, born only two days ago. Despite that, he couldn't help but notice how similar she looked to Scarlett.

Cassandra looked over at him with her blue eyes widening and then bolted towards him with a smile.

"Hi, Father! Are you excited to get to work together?" she chirped, standing in front of him, completely unaware of onlookers.

"Do you know what we're doing?" he asked.

"Of course," she said. "I'll need your help. We're just waiting for the soldier... though I hope he actually knows what he's doing." Her voice dripped with annoyance. "We're going to the barrier."

Greyson had an idea of Cassandra's plan when it came to going to see the bubble. With all the information Scarlett had told him about what her overall powers were, he knew what she wanted.

"The soldier is busy," Mia slurred as she glanced at Will beside her. "He and the housewife are chatting, Miracle Child, but... I don't think it's all chatting, right?"

She laughed and Will joined in. Cassandra's eyes narrowed at their behaviour. Without hesitation, Mia and Will slammed into the muddy ground. A moment later, they lifted their heads, mud smeared across their faces.

"I told him," she said coldly. "We leave when I say we leave."

"Chop, chop, soldier!" Greyson heard Nevaeh's voice call out. "You can't leave two determined people waiting."

He spotted Jason walking over with Nevaeh trailing behind, clapping her hands. He stood in front of the two as Cassandra nodded and turned, as they began walking through the fields still filled with snow.

"What exactly are we doing?" Jason called out, trying to keep pace.

Cassandra shook her head and let out a long sigh. "I already told you that we're going to the barrier trapping us. Then I handle it, and after that, we find Ashley. Simple steps."

Without waiting for Jason, she turned and strode ahead, Greyson following closely. The snow was thin now, and the pink sky stretched over the open fields.

Greyson stole a glance at Cassandra. Her bright smile made his chest tighten. She wasn't some random child; she was his own daughter. The realization was as overwhelming as it was confusing.

"We have to destroy those followers afterward, since my plan performs in three steps," Cassandra explained.

They stopped when they reached a vast stretch of open field. In front of them shimmered the invisible barrier—the bubble.

She approached without hesitation and pressed a hand against the barrier. Brilliant white light burst across its surface, forcing Greyson to shield his eyes.

The illusion shattered.

Snow-covered field dissolved into pavement. Apartment buildings towered overhead as traffic rolled past uninterrupted.

A cyclist nearby almost fell off his bike.

An old woman froze in the middle of crossing the street.

Some people screamed while others simply stared.

One man dropped his grocery bag.

A teenager shakily raised her phone, only remembering to record after several stunned seconds.

News reporters pushed through the crowd, capturing reactions rather than simply observing.

The outside world had been there all along.

Greyson froze.

Compared to the orderly chaos outside, they looked pale and disheveled like drug addicts.

"There are... so many people," Cassandra murmured, standing beside him.

Cars continued moving normally, and the sky glowed bright blue. The world outside kept spinning exactly as it always had, while The Bubble remained isolated.

When the glow faded, her attention shifted to a nearby grocery store.

"This is where you come in, Father," she declared.

The adults around them seemed to stare in horror at the sight of them. She pointed to the grocery store, which was another Foodland.

"Focus your powers on that," she instructed.

Greyson focused on the store as it slowly lifted off the ground. His arm ached under the strain, but he held it steady. This gave him an idea.

Cassandra was definitely intelligent, just like him. They weren't even able to touch the barrier.

The store slowly made its way inside The Bubble. Until now, bringing something in from the outside had been impossible.

Greyson felt his own eyes widen when the store fell flat in the field. Those on the outside stared in horror as Cassandra walked back to face the group. He watched her furrow her eyebrows as she looked up at the helicopters.

"Are they stupid?" she spat as she stuck up her palm, sending the helicopters soaring away.

He assumed it was the military, but no military could handle everything they were witnessing.

Greyson watched as the large crowd fell like dominoes. It was almost like an earthquake had hit, and some people tried to hold their ground, but it didn't work.

"What'd you do?" Jason panicked.

"It's what happens when I get something from the outside," Cassandra said, twirling on her heel and glancing over at the grocery store.

Greyson hurried into the store, which the building was without power.

To his surprise, the shelves had actual food—not just cabbage and fish.

He picked up an apple and stared at it before taking a bite.

It was real food, just like it had been on the island.

Cassandra stood in front of him with a bright smile on her face. "Are you satisfied?"

Greyson hesitated. "You knew this, didn't you?"

She sank down onto the floor across from him, crossing her legs. Pulling a box of freshly packed chocolate chip cookies from the shelf, she examined it as though it were a rare artifact before popping one in her mouth.

"Of course I knew," she replied, holding out the box toward him. "Bring a store through the barrier for you and Mother."

She ran her fingers through her long, dark hair, pushing it back from her face. As Greyson glanced over, he noticed Jason slumped against a fruit stand, eating a pear.

"Why are you scared of me?" Cassandra asked, tilting her head.

Greyson swallowed, staring at the girl in front of him. So normal, yet brimming with power beyond anything he had seen.

"I'm not," he said.

"Are you scared of being my father?" she pressed.

His chest tightened. He had led groups, faced Ashley before and made life-or-death decisions, but he never felt fear like this. He didn't understand it at all. Without realizing it, he nodded.

She studied him quietly, eyes unblinking. "Mother said she's scared I'll be raised wrong. Is that why?"

"No," he said, glancing over at Jason, lying on the cold floor.

"You're afraid to tell Mother you love her," Cassandra said. "I'm right."

Greyson didn't like being proven wrong, but this had been one of them.

"I know you didn't have much love growing up, like Mother," Cassandra implied. "I've learned everything from your memories like your first meeting, your schemes. I didn't look at the... dirtier parts. I can control almost everything, but I don't control people, so it's important you tell her."

"I know," Greyson remarked.

He knew he loved Scarlett, but saying those words wasn't something that came easily to him. He could barely remember whether his adoptive parents had ever told him they loved him. It might have been the day they discarded him at Uden Academy, but everything was a blur now.

Cassandra then widened her eyes and stood. "Someone's going after Ashley alone," she grated, chewing on her pinky nail. "We're leaving!"

Greyson stepped out of the store and froze. The other side had descended into chaos.

Ambulances and police cars lined the streets, sirens flashing.

People stumbled over each other as the aftershocks of Cassandra's earthquake rattled the ground.

Helicopters hovered overhead, their rotors whipping around debris into the air. Cameras flashed, recording everything, but those inside the Bubble couldn't hear a thing. None of the cries reached them, where people lay injured or possibly dead.

Cassandra's plan was brilliant, which came from him. She was intelligent at planning, like how most of his plans had worked out.

"Wait, should we start contacting someone about the food?" Jason asked.

"We have to get rid of the followers, or that person going alone is going to die," she said.

"Who is going alone?" Jason questioned.

"Speed Demon," Cassandra remarked.

"Where do we start with followers?" Greyson asked, his hand on his hip.

Cassandra glanced back and forth before they set their sights on one.

"Bingo," she said, speeding her way there.

Teagan stood there with a neutral expression, her eyes directed at Cassandra.

"Mutant child," she whispered, almost in tears.

The first thing he could assume was that the followers wanted to leave Ashley. It was the only thing that made sense considering what Cassandra had said about them.

"You all want to leave Ashley," Cassandra said.

There were fifteen more who showed themselves, none of whom Greyson recognized.

The followers gathered together into a tight cluster, each of them nodding.

"We no longer want revenge," someone said.

"We don't want people we know to die. It's wrong," one of them said in tears.

"Do you wish to perish or to aid?" Cassandra asked.

"Aid," Teagan confirmed.

Cassandra held out both palms facing them, her eyes closed. Greyson watched the followers slowly fall to the ground, but they didn't pop like normal. One by one, he watched in shock as they collapsed into an unusual slumber.

"What happened?" Jason asked.

"They left Ashley's side," Greyson stated.

"They aid by tracking enemies or fighting them," Cassandra explained as she shot the white light from her hands.

"You're quite fearsome," Divina's voice praised as they spotted the male illusion with a smirk. "God's slowly losing followers, then I get a body."

"People aren't fully listening," Cassandra scowled with crossed arms.

"When you get this body, does the process take more than two months?" Jason asked.

"God slowly loses the powers when I get a body. Since the mutant child had erased them, which was primarily created from godrin," Divina stated.

Scarlett told him about that substance when Divina was her doodle body. Now, it was an actual illusion that they were talking with.

"God may end up burning down where you're staying, but it's about who I choose," Divina snarled.

"Who are your primary choices?" Greyson asked before he could stop himself.

"That's a secret," Divina snarled.

That didn't exactly help Greyson, because there may be a choice he might have to make.

"But it's a sacrifice? Do they just say words?" Jason asked.

"Choose me," Divina rolled on his tongue. "I pick between my choices."

"Is that your endgame?" Cassandra asked.

"Yes, because the world is seen. Followers are dying, which will make me victorious," Divina laughed. "Let me see that grand power of yours."

"No," Cassandra said with crossed arms. "I know why you want to know."

Divina raised his eyebrows at her. Greyson was aware that Divina probably just wanted to know Cassandra's powers in order to establish everything.

"God will be quite angry with you. Actually, it is already," Divina laughed.

"It constantly screams at me. Every time it tells me something, I threaten it," Cassandra spat.

"I hope you get rid of those followers soon. I miss traumatizing God," Divina sneered, disappearing from sight.

"Divina's crazy," Cassandra said flatly. "She's like," she snapped her fingers in thought.

"Luke," Jason stated.

Luke had been a useful henchman before Greyson killed him. Now he had become one of those followers, or quite possibly dead.

"Okay, we have to go search for those followers," Cassandra said, looking at the ones she had. "Half of you stay while the other half goes to Sunny's."

They vanished from view as Cassandra nodded, turning to the two of them.

"We have to move now," Cassandra said. "If we're going to get out of here, we don't waste time."