Two years later

It had been years since Jason had set foot in Simcoe. He stepped out of the car and paused in the centre of the plaza. The road beneath his feet was smooth and freshly paced, unlike the wreckage he remembered.

His eyes swept across the empty lots where the daycare, pharmacy, and Burger King once stood. Rubble had vanished, leaving only concrete slabs and weeds pushing through cracks. A half-built McDonald's loomed on one side, its skeletal frame creaking faintly in the wind.

A few houses had sprouted on the edge of the plaza, each sporting a bright "for sale" sign. The air smelled faintly of fresh asphalt and damp earth. He kicked at a loose stone, the sound echoing the stillness.

Jason made his way over to the park, which had been transformed into a graveyard. It was a dark reminder of the trauma that had taken place and the lives that were lost. It was gated by a small black fence and newly planted trees.

As he walked through the graveyard, he stared at some of the graves around him. They were lined up in different shapes, each with names engraved with people's names on them. Some he didn't know, but others he recognized, like Melany, Ilya, and Esme.

Jason crouched in front of Bella's grave and placed white roses gently on her grave.

His throat tightened. She had sacrificed her life. He could still remember her laugh, her smile, and the way she would do anything to protect him. Even through all the chaos, he had fallen in love with her.

"I miss you..." he whispered.

He closed his eyes, letting memories of their first kiss, their arguments, and their moments together wash over him.

"Hello, soldier," Bryce snarked.

Jason opened his eyes and turned to see the crackheads holding white roses as Mia looked around absentmindedly. After years, they still didn't change much in appearance, except for Mia's light brown hair.

"He's praying," Mia whispered, tiptoeing toward him.

Jason had moved out on the condos and gotten his own place in the two years since The Bubble, but he struggled with being alone. Even with the occasional visits from Mark and Cindy, the mental scars remained permanent.

He had turned to drinking in an attempt to numb the painful memories, but it proved to be ineffective. Instead, he ended up being was on the addiction floor, struggling with alcoholism.

"Where's Emma?" Jason asked.

"My beautiful girlfriend is being driven by her dad. They have been forming a good bond, if you happen to know," Bryce said smugly.

Suddenly, a short girl in a white sundress rushed towards them, holding a bouquet of flowers and wearing a panicked expression.

"Am I late?" Emma blurted out.

"Yeah, everyone just left," Bryce stated. "I'm kidding, worrywart."

This was an event planned by Zane to commemorate the days they were released from this place. It was optional for people to attend, but it also provided an opportunity to reconnect with those who had either moved away or were not active on social media.

"Is it exactly two years today?" Zane asked, walking over.

They had all watched as Ashley, Divina, and Cassandra were reduced to ash, freeing them from The Bubble. The entire plaza had been engulfed in flames, with everyone having some sort of injury and the sounds of gunshots and screams filling the air.

"No new love interest yet? Darn," Nevaeh said, snapping her fingers.

Relationships were the last thing on his mind. He was still haunted by what had happened to Bella and the guilt of not being able to save her from death.

"Did you hear the news?" Will asked, standing near Mia.

"Hear what?" Jason asked.

"Don't you at least follow your brother on something?" Nevaeh inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Jason shook his head, since he preferred to stay off social media. The only thing app he had was TikTok, as he was advised that people would be digging for information about him. They would want to know about his living situation or his struggle with an alcohol addiction.

"You'll find it out," Mia said with a grin.

"You're missing a crackhead," he said flatly.

"Eden? Oh, she moved somewhere with all her siblings or something," Will said, waving a hand. "That Netflix documentary about her family gained a lot of hate comments."

Jason had actually watched the documentary about the Weber family. The entire thing was insane because the majority of Eden's family seemed exactly like her. The violence they discussed or the cold look in Peter's eyes during the interviews.

It wasn't surprising that she had gone off with her siblings. In another situation, he would have assumed she'd be in jail for forty years.

Jason scanned the crowd and let out a low sigh. Thirty people, maybe more, had shown up. He had hoped a quieter remembrance.

A bench creaked beside him. He glanced over. Mallory was there, smiling brightly at him. Her entire face didn't have a single scratch or gash like it used to. He could have sworn the scars that she had on her face the last time he saw her were mostly gone.

"You don't look too well," she said, tilting her head.

Jason shrugged. "Being around some people is... exhausting." His eyes flickered to the crackheads and Nevaeh.

One of the reasons he moved out was because of Mia and Will's loud behaviour, which included running up and down the halls. In fact, Bryce had even resorted to locking them in vacant rooms on different floors in the past.

As Nevaeh approached him with her hands on her hips, she bluntly said, "Engaged."

Jason looked up with knitted eyebrows. "Engaged?" he repeated

He didn't know anyone who was engaged. While he worked at a grocery store, where there were married couples and students, none of the survivors were getting married.

"You really don't know?" Nevaeh sighed. "Scarlett and Greyson are engaged."

He blinked at her for a few seconds before saying anything. He was finally looping it around his mind that his brother had proposed to Scarlett.

"What?" he and Mallory both exclaimed.

"Since you guys don't live in the condos, it's understandable that you weren't informed. They are apparently coming later, but it happened a few months ago," Nevaeh implied.

Hearing this news in the graveyard was the list thing Jason expected. He had assumed it would be something related to university or college, but he had dropped out in his first year and hadn't gone back since.

"I wish I could be a writer for the Netflix series," Mia whined, pointing at Zane.

"I couldn't stop laughing when they had that actor trip into the hole," Will chuckled.

Zane had co-produced an accurate version of everything that had happened. Well, not exactly everything, as they had not been informed about the many experiments at Uden Academy that Jason didn't even know about. The extent of the power plant incident wasn't mentioned, nor was Esme and Cindy's fight with Luke were not mentioned.

"They want to renew it for a second season," Zane sighed, shaking his head.

The season ended with the storm stopping, leaving viewers what happened next. A second season would cover the Scarlett's pregnancy and go into what happened during the time Ashley was absent.

"So many people died," Mallory murmured.

No one wanted to discuss the death, especially those who had left a scar on them. The sight of death had left a lasting mark on all of them, which is why most had haunted eyes. Jason didn't include the crackheads, assuming that they were used to seeing such violence.

"Well, I think we should all have a moment of silence," Zane said, catching people's attention.

A hush fell over the graveyard as Jason's gaze rested on Bella's grave. He remembered their first encounter, their first kiss, and the countless times they had worked together to overcome obstacles with Greyson, Luke, and Ashley.

It was then that Bella changed. When Divina took over her body, her eyes were always dark, and that devious smile never left her face. Unlike the rest of them, she didn't show fear when torturing Ashley or facing death.

He paused at Melany's grave. The stone was small, neat and untouched by weeds—much like the care she had always taken with him when he was injured. He traced the engraving with a finger, remembering the day Greyson had hurt him, following the twin reveal.

A shiver ran down his spine. He still remembered watching Melany be shot before he could stop Luke.

He moved on to Esme's grave, trying not to flinch at her name. She had always charged headfirst into danger, laughing through scrapes and cuts. Speed Demon, she had called herself. Jason winced at the memory of hearing she and Jade were shot by Ashley.

Jason moved slowly between the rows of freshly planted flowers, pausing at each grave. Around him, others knelt or placed blooms, their quiet murmurs blending with the soft wind.

He stopped at Henry's. He couldn't help but remember about his gang, who had committed murder and ultimately faced their own karma. Henry died of hypothermia, Finn succumbed to the virus, and Stick sacrificed himself for Mallory, seeking redemption.

One thing about the graveyard was that nobody had a gravestone for Luke, but Jason doubted that it was anyone's wish.

Jason looked at Jade's grave. She had been a close friend's when they worked at Sunny's during the storm. She had also liked Esme, but they ended up dying together.

He placed the roses down at each of their graves before being approached by Cindy. She was no longer the same girl who had helped him through countless injuries in the infirmary.

"People said that everyone should bring flowers," Cindy said, handing him some lilies. "Melany always said they looked pretty."

He and Cindy had a brief fling, but his mind was not in a clear place at the time. She was pretty, but she knew not to push anything due to the events that occurred.

"Have you talked to your parents?" Jason asked.

"They still see me as the same girl I was when all this started. They understand my choices, but some reminders will always be there," Cindy replied.

Jason nodded, knowing he hadn't spoken to his own mother, Heather at all. The lies surrounding his entire life had been like a painting, and he was supposed to have a twin brother and narcissistic father. He never expected to uncover the truth and navigate through it all while trapped in The Bubble.

"Do you think I can climb that?" Mia yelled, pointing to the unfinished construction of McDonald's.

Construction had halted as people were unwilling to rebuild and live in a town, fearing a recurrence of the event that had taken place and the possibility of the substance returning to possess others.

"If you die, it's your fault!" Bryce called.

As they walked around the new plaza, Jason noticed that the road and sidewalk had been repaved, but there was no sign of the church or daycare that used to stand there. The rubble had been cleared, leaving behind an empty lot that had been destroyed by Ashley.

He was unsure if the power plant had been restored. He assumed they had attempted to, but the hydro situation may have prevented it. He also wondered if Henry's body had been discovered there, but he had no way of knowing for sure.

Jason asked, "Are we going to the condos for dining?"

"Yes, they ordered food for everyone to gather and remember those who were no longer with us," Cindy replied.

He knew there would be a gathering to remember those who were no longer here, but it was also a chance to see what the town they used to life in had become.

"At least most of the terror is over," Jason mumbled.

He was relieved that people were no longer being burned alive or shot, even if the town was not completely restored.

"Until someone frightening happens," Cindy muttered while placing the last lily down on one of the graves.

Jason hoped that they would never experience such terror again.

Emma steps were slow and hesitant as she entered the condo building, but it wasn't because she was scared. No, seeing it every time she came was like staying at a resort that you didn't have to pay for.

The condo building was so luxurious that it felt unreal. She knew her anxiety would spike in response to all the grandeur.

There were nightmares of being close to death or seeing people dying right in front of her eyes. She still goes to therapy and has healed some of her insecurities, but there are triggers. People who would throw up would make her panic because it reminded her of all the people who threw up body parts like lungs.

"You're acting like you're getting your graduation certificate," Bryce said.

"It's all just shocking and stuff," Emma said.

This whole situation of walking into a building each time was amazing. She has visited Bryce multiple times, but the whole thing was stunning.

It was nice being home with her father and seeing some people she was friends with ages ago. There was still much she had to overcome, but she knew all the people around her would support her.

"Is it? I haven't really been paying attention to that," Bryce said.

"Bryce, we go to college or university soon, and we have to make sure we have good grades and everything," Emma rambled.

"Who was the person who sat me in front of a computer for five hours to help me decide what I wanted to do?" Bryce asked with a sly smile, placing a finger to his lips."Prom is even more important because I'll have to convince Highlighter what types of suits I can wear since I'll need to get two. Which also means the worrywart in front of me has to buy two dresses."

She still went to school in her old neighborhood. Though the place had changed, classmates often approached her about the incident. It was overwhelming at times, but sharing her story had also helped her heal.

However, it wasn't always easy. Even with the support of those around her, she would tremble when trying to tell those stories.

All she remembered is the pain and those small moments of relief. The Bubble was a place of danger and terror that changed all of them in some way or another.

As they entered the elevator, he pressed the button and gently pulled her into his chest. She rested her head on him, smiling.

"I missed you," she murmured.

"I missed you too. Are you staying for the whole weekend?" he asked.

She often came when her dad could drive her. They usually planned a big activity together during her visits.

The elevator doors opened into the main dining room, which smelled of chicken. There were long tables filled with platters of food, including cold cuts, crackers, vegetable, and fruits. There were also cooked dishes like potatoes, fish, fries, and many other foods.

People were chatting and catching up with those that didn't often visit. It was a respectful atmosphere, rather than a loud party with blasting music.

"Or is your mind distracted by something else?" Bryce asked.

"I'm just surprised by everything," she stated as she scanned around the area, taking a drink of water.

"I mean, the engagement," Bryce said.

Emma sputtered and started choking on her water. She felt her whole face flush, and quickly wiped the water with a napkin. The words startled her from the context in which Bryce said them, but she knew what he meant.

"No, I'm happy for them," she coughed, taking another drink.

It reminded her of the time Esme kissed James while she was drinking water, and ended up spitting it out. Emma realized that unexpected actions always left her sputtering.

She glanced at James, who was casually talking to Jason. She wasn't sure how he was coping with his grief, but he seemed to be handling it better than she was.

"Wait, did you take that in a different context?" Bryce asked slyly.

Emma didn't look at him, but pressed her lips together and quickly walked over to Hanna. She didn't want her face to feel any hotter than it already did.

"I'm guessing your teasing boyfriend of yours teased you?" Hanna asked with a sigh.

Hanna looked the same, just taller, and stood beside Conner and a boy that Emma didn't recognize.

The boy had frizzy blonde hair, and brown eyes, and was dressed in blue jeans, a brown collared shirt, and loafers.

"Right, Brady, this is Emma, the healer," Conner said.

Wasn't this the same guy who was grumpy and irritable throughout the whole experience they witnessed? The one who never wanted to do any work and just wanted to go back to their home?

"He's my boyfriend," Conner stated.

"Yo," Brady greeted.

Emma's jaw dropped as she turned to Hanna for an explanation. This was not the same hole-digger who had blamed Ilya's death as her own fault. It was like a completely different personality, similar to when Eden used her Jesus facade.

"That place sure sounded like a living hell," Brady commented casually.

"I think that's an understatement," Emma murmured.

Uden had caused conflict, but there was so much more. There were holes, fires, a storm, starvation, two monsters, and death. It was unimaginable that people their age had gone through such horrors, yet they had somehow survived.

"I definitely don't miss the burns and seeing intestines being coughed up. Nursing in university is a breeze compared to that," Hanna stated.

Hanna has pursed nursing, which she had been easier accepted in to all the universities she applied to.

"I choose to major in art major because most other fields would either make me sick or trigger painful memories," Emma sighed.

Hanna nodded, and Emma's gaze shifted to Nelson as he set some of the food on the table. It reminded her of the time they had a big town dinner and Esme had made a toast about bravery.

Last she heard, Nelson had opened his own bakery in downtown Toronto after he graduated high school. He was now running part of it with some of his former co-workers from Burger King in the past and others who needed jobs.

"I heard someone got engaged," Brady mentioned.

Emma's gaze drifted towards the food table where Scarlett was loading up her plate. Her slightly curled hair reminded Emma how similar Cassandra had looked to Scarlett.

"Yeah, they're the ones who had Cassandra," Conner said.

"She was very caring," Emma said.

It was something you wouldn't expect to say about the child of Scarlett and Greyson if people knew them before they changed.

"But she was also very determined and ambitious," Hanna added.

Cassandra understood the dangers of being born into The Bubble. Without her, most of them would have died, and it was only one accident that saved them from Ashley.

The snow would have buried them, and people would keep getting sick until she died. All around, it would have been dark, and hypothermia would have made them ice cubes.

One girl who may have killed adults on the outside or injured them. She hated adults because of their treatment and the way they acted, which is why she did it.

Emma read somewhere that Cassandra's earthquake ended up killing about two people, with the rest having concussions or injuries. If she has enough rage, she'd kill someone who harmed someone she cared for.

"I'm going to do something," Emma said.

She walked away from the group of three and did something she never would have been able to do years ago. She approached Scarlett, who was grabbing a water bottle. If this had been years ago, she would be nervous and panicking at the same time.

"I forgot to say congratulations," Emma said, running the back of her neck but maintaining direct eye contact.

"Thanks," Scarlett replied.

"I mean, I'm not surprised or anything," Emma rambled on. "I know it's not like in the past, when I failed to realize how much you meant to each other." She stopped herself and let out a breath. "I'm happy for you guys."

In the past, Emma could never expressed genuine happiness for Scarlett, as she would have been to preoccupied with her own relationship with Greyson. She would have kept her eyes on the ground and tried not to let any information about Scarlett and Greyson's relationship affect her.

"Yeah, we haven't made those decisions that Nevaeh keeps pestering me about," Scarlett sighed with a wry smirk.

As Emma thought about it, he realized there was a lot of planning involved in a wedding. It is not just the location and date, but also dresses, guest lists, and even food.

"I'm going to talk to some others," Emma said awkwardly.

As she turned away, she widened her eyes in shock. She was able to maintain eye contact with Scarlett for that long, but she still had the nervous tics when she rambled.

Mark and Jason exchanged glances. "It's so strange seeing most here," Mark said.

"Some look older, but they're still the same," Jason added.

However, there were expectations, like Mallory and Preston, who looked older than their grade. The one positive change was that Preston no longer as much of a pervert as he used to be. He was still overdramatic whenever something happened though.

Mallory's nose was no longer crooked, and James no longer wore glasses. He had apparently switched to contacts and had also grown taller.

Mark and Jason had also grown taller, but Greyson and River were still the tallest. Bryce was at least as tall as Jason, despite being younger.

She had grown out her own bangs, revealing her own forehead. Even though she hadn't changed much physically, she felt older than her actual age.

Perhaps she was haunted by everything that had happened, making her feel older. They had been forced to grow up the day the adults vanished, but things took a turn when they stopped Ashley's trick.

"Wait, does that mean I have to go to Greyson's wedding?" Jason asked.

"I doubt he'll invite you," Mark replied with a laugh.

This was true, as the two were still not on good terms, but not completely bad terms.

Around the room, people were talking or eating some food, but it was a respectful atmosphere. Mia and Will were not screaming or jumping on chairs, or attempting anything that would ended in failure.

"The terror is over."

Emma stumbled back, and widened her eyes and felt her heart race, wondering if it really was Divina's voice she had just heard. How was it still able to communicate with her? Weren't they completely sealed away? She took a breath and nodded to herself, reminding herself that everything was over, and those monsters were nothing but ash.

"You good?" Mark's voice startled her.

She realized it was probably Divina's final words before their connection was completely severed.

She knew that deep underground, those creatures may still exist, but they were no longer a threat. They were fallen stars, never meant to exist, but somehow they ended up in this twisted loop.

She remembered how Cassandra had promised to get rid of them, and she kept her word. The monsters were sealed away and then burned, destroying the harm they had caused.

"Officially, all the terror is over," Jason said.

Emma knew that there would still be moments of fear in her life, but she was grateful that she would never have not reliving the chaos they had experienced.

"It has been a long ride, but it's finally over," Mark sighed.

She couldn't help but think about the dangers they faced—from food shortage to a storm that could kill them. But, those fears were now gone. The dangers of supernatural abilities and murder had also vanished, even if some would still be there.

"We're finally free," Jason implied.

They were finally free from harm, even after years of feeling trapped and caged without The Bubble. She knew some people may have lost their lives, but she also knew that life would go on. And even if she struggled in the future, there would also be people there to help her. After all, the ultimate terror had finally vanished.

Final Author Note
And that's the end of the Vanished Series! It has been a long ride of emotions, from sadness to hate or even joy.

I'm sure this book has made you cry a lot, because I know I did. Between Stick and Bella's sacrifice, Melany and Cindy's talk, or even Esme, and Jade's death.

I'll say Bella and Jason's final talk when Divina takes over her body was one of the saddest scenes to write in the whole series.

I know that I've killed a lot of characters, and you probably hate me for doing so. Every death I wanted to make emotional in some way, especially those in Terror.

Well, Luke's death was more of a celebration like Ashley's, so not all were emotional.

I'm going to let you know about a few facts or changes that I considered.

At first, I was going to make Greyson the host body, but I decided against it because Bella needed her redemption for setting Jason free.

I thought about Emma ending up with Mark but changed that idea writing Danger.

Cassandra was originally going to survive the final burning, but it wouldn't make sense because she was born to stop Ashley.

Instead of Cassandra being born, I thought about Bella gaining the powers to stop them without knowing.

I intended Cassandra to be as determined and ambitious as Greyson.

For the longest time, I thought about Cassandra having an identical twin brother named Ethan.

Eden being unhinged was something I planned from the very start.

Stick and Bella's death I planned. The same with Esme and Cassandra.

Ashley being the overall villain was planned. It was funny seeing when you'll were in the period of wanting to help her.

Despite the screaming, confusion, laughter, shock, tears, and happiness, it has ended.

Thanks for reading, and hopefully you enjoyed the series!
-Lexi