People had gone back and forth on the stand. Most of the freaks had talked, but Greyson and Jason had been called up at least four times before Bella's mother went on the stand.

Emma felt her body shaking, even if she wasn't the one going on the stand. Even with Eden calling out the truth, they still wanted them to talk about what other laws and damages were broken.

"Lola, did you know your husband was sick?" Chris asked.

Bella's mother walked slowly to the podium. Dark circles under her eyes showed she hadn't slept in weeks. Her straightened blonde hair framed a pale face, and she barely glanced at the crowd. She wore a white blouse and navy skirt, simple and somber.

"I... I didn't know he was sick," Lola admitted, voice trembling. "And I had no idea about the substance he created. Our manager warned him it was toxic and could kill him. In a moment of panic... he dumped it in the ditch."

Chris leaned forward. "And when he dumped it, that substance mixed with the person who controlled Ashley Iverson, correct?"

Emma knew why Lola looked that way. It was how she looked and felt during the storm when she heard about the lies and those dying. Bella's mom was distraught because she had lost her only daughter and husband.

"I'd like to talk about your daughter," Chris began. "According to our information, Bella helped throughout the incident. However, it appears she ultimately became the sacrifice for someone to take over her body. Did you have any idea she would do this?"

"No, I didn't expect her to become someone who seemed taunting and sadistic," Lola whimpered, wiping away her tears.

"Did your husband fully understand the consequences of dumping that hazardous substance into the ditch?" Chris asked.

"Yeah," she whispered.

Murmurs rippled through the courtroom. It was a quiet confession that the wasn't their fault. Was she admitting it because she had no choice?

Emma jumped as a hand gripped hers.

"Stop shaking, worrywart," Bryce murmured in her ear.

"It's... nerve-wracking," she whispered back.

She was anxious because she didn't want to be charged, even if she had destroyed some trees and some parts of the plaza. Well, she did commit theft as well, for clothes and blankets that weren't hers.

A tall woman approached Chris, holding a paper for the judge and lawyers. "We've confirmed that the substance dumped was made with lean," she announced.

Didn't Melany guess it was made with lean? Emma glanced over at Cindy, who stared at her. How could someone who was fourteen figure that out before scientists?

"There were also other medications mixed in," the woman continued. "One of them is Cytarabine, a drug used to treat cancer. The man who had it—he had brain cancer, correct?"

Emma's mind drifted back to the memories of her mom undergoing chemotherapy. At first, they had planned surgery because the cancer was in her breast. By the time they attempted to remove it, though, it had already spread.

Despite all of this, her mother remained cheerful. Even when told she might die, or that chemotherapy would make her lose all her long hair, she smiled.

Emma had watched her mom's body weaken with each hospital visit. Her father took time off work to be there, and even he couldn't hide his grief. Her mother would say everything would be fine, but Emma knew the truth: she was powerless to stop it.

When her mom died, her father was just like her. When he tried to work or say he was getting something in a room, he'd cry like her. That's when her own insecurities grew, such as seeing families with a mother or being scared to get super close.

Her father saw that therapy wasn't going to cure her of that baggage of anxiety and grief, but Uden Academy could help her heal.

Emma's mind spun, pulled back into memories of her mother's illness. I'd it had been any other illness besides cancer, she probably wouldn't have these flashbacks, these waves of grief and fear.

"Miss Cabot, is everything alright?" the judge's voice cut through her thoughts.

She blinked, startled, her cheeks wet with tears. "I'm fine," she said, brushing them away.

Even as she spoke, the memories lingered, uninviting and sharp, reminding her of the fragile of life—and how easily it could take the ones you loved.

"Was it about your mom?" Bryce asked.

Emma nodded and stared at the unfolding information as the lady explained each drug and the harm of being mixed.

Emma couldn't focus on the courtroom information. Her mind kept looping back to her mother's advice: if you focus on the negative, it will eat you alive.

She remembered sitting in the hospital chair, crying while her mother cried beside her. Even she showed her mother papers or school projects, the tears wouldn't stop.

But her mom also tried to bring joy. She would show Emma dress ideas for graduation or prom, imagining the future with bright fabric, jewels and vibrant colours. Those small moments of hope always stood out against the sadness.

"Can I be excused?" Emma asked with a hand raised as the judge nodded.

She bit her lip, walking to the door and pushing it open to sit in a chair. She shouldn't be overthinking it, but it's not about the sad part. It's all the other words about finding the right people who will help calm you or give you that happiness. Everything she pushed away when her insecurities were the only thing on her mind. All the anxiety began to fade until it came back like a baseball.

However, she got apologies and found people who made her happy. They were ones that helped her forget about the worries of relationships and just focus on what's happening.

The court door opened as Bryce came striding over. "I know you don't want to be in there when they are talking about that," he said.

"My mom always told me to be happy or positive when she was dying, but that never happened until the bubble happened. I found those people, even if some of them died," she whimpered.

"Even if it was limited, you learned not to focus on everything that harmed you," Bryce said.

She stood up and wrapped her arms around him, resting her forehead against his chest. He had always been so much taller than her—something he teased her about constantly.

"Thank you," she whispered into his shirt.

"For?" he asked slyly.

"Waiting," she said, smiling.

Bryce glided a hand through her bangs. "I'd wait years until you got over your lake, even if you'll probably still have setbacks."

Emma blinked at his words.

"Wait... so if you're talking about your happiness, does that mean I'm part of your happiness?" Bryce teased.

Her cheeks flushed. It was undeniable how much Bryce had been there for her during one of the hardest moments of her life. Even when she'd cried over Greyson or collapsed from exhaustion, he never judged her. Instead, he always found a way to joke around, to make her feel better.

Emma went onto her tiptoes and kissed him with both hands on his cheeks. "Yeah," she said with a smile.

"See, if we have a graduation, you should wear heels instead of flats. That way, it's easier for you to wrap your arms around me and kiss me," Bryce slyly said with a smirk. "Not those stripper heels Mia wears because you'll probably end up falling."

"Well, we don't know if we're going to actually have a graduation ceremony or if Uden will just send us our graduation certificates or—" Emma rambled.

Bryce leaned in closer with a playful smirk. "I'm just teasing you, but I'm quite surprised by something," he began started. "I bet you never imagined to end up with a handsome delinquent like me. Maybe it's my looks?"

Emma felt her heat rise to her cheeks at his comment. There was no denying that Bryce was attractive, especially that grin he wore.

"Even if you will probably always be a worrywart, you have more people around you that helped you change for the better," Bryce said.

The doors opened to the courtroom as Mia and Will came zooming to them. "They are going to make the decision with the other group. We have to go into some meeting room," Mia rambled.

"Housewife's mom said a whole bunch of stuff, so they want to talk with other people," Will stated as he pointed toward the people leaving the courtroom and down into a hallway.

Emma speed-walked to catch up with the group, turning left at the end of the hall. The hallway was long and painted a bright yellow, leading to a large meeting room where everyone involved in the court session was gathered.

Mallory and Yara spun in their chairs, while others scrolled through their phones. Emma wondered how much longer they'd have to wait. This wasn't a typical court session, but then, this wasn't a typical case.

"Did you hear? Housewife's mother actually admitted to the creation," Eden said, walking toward her.

"Wait, we need to celebrate, guys!" Mia shouted, climbing onto the long meeting table and pointing at River. "Highlighter is rich and he's going to build us condos!"

"You were handed everything?" Angel asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

"They had video proof and other evidence from the security cameras in the house on the island," River stated.

"So, that means the microwave blowing up wouldn't be caught. That could've been pretty really bad," Mallory said with a relieved sigh.

"That wouldn't have been the only thing caught," Bryce snarked.

Emma paused, slowly realizing what he meant.

"I doubt they'd be monitoring every bedroom," Scarlett said, raising an eyebrow.

Emma felt her face flush, but she wasn't the only one.

"So, where are these condos being built?" Greyson interjected, avoiding what had just been said.

"Well, the condos are mainly for those who aren't going back to their parents—or whose parents won't take them," River said. "We'll probably need a bigger location with plenty of space."

There were other cities they could consider, but some further away. Emma thought about London, Ontario—her hometown—which was fairly large but still smaller compared to Ottawa or Toronto.

"Not places north," Mia groaned.

Normally it's colder winters, which means they would get a lot of snow, like the storm.

The door opened as they all looked over at Chris. "They have more snacks out," he said.

That wasn't the exact news they wanted, but nobody could avoid having food anymore.

A potluck-styled spread had been laid out: sandwiches, fruit platters, and bowls of overflowing crackers. It looked as if someone had raided a picnic basket and dumped the contents onto the table.

Greyson surveyed the scene, his gaze lingering on the ham and cheese sandwiches, which looked less soggy than the rest. He grabbed one, adding a few slices of melon and a brownie on a plastic plate.

"I'm surprised you didn't snap at Bryce," Scarlett whispered in his ear.

"I did have an urge," he admitted.

Greyson finished loading his plate and took a deep breath. All that remained was waiting to see if they would be freed of charges, or if it would end in jail.

When the group returned to the meeting room, the long table was surrounded by black offices. Most of the people were seated there were the freaks on trial, while others who had been questioned by the police lingered on the wall.

"They could go in Mississauga," Nevaeh commented as she was standing near River.

Greyson knew he wasn't going back—certainly not to his adoptive parents or Heather. He turned to look at Scarlett, who was eating sliced watermelon with her legs crossed.

"No, I'm not going to my parents," she said.

"Can we have a pool in it? Oh, and like an exercise area," Nevaeh urged.

"That sounds more like a hotel," Cindy said flatly.

Greyson knew he couldn't get ahead of himself because it's confirmed he'll probably be in jail for a while. He's fine with that since the host body choice didn't go as he thought it would. Then again, one part of him knew that Divina wouldn't choose him or Scarlett because Cassandra would have been enraged.

The door opened to Chris as all of them stared. "They have reached a decision," he announced. "Nobody is going to jail."

People sputtered and stared in confusion and shock.

"However," Chris paused. "There are charges that will have to be paid for what people have admitted of destroying. Greyson and Jason have the highest charges to pay, along with a few others, and—"

"I'll pay the charges," River cut Chris off.

Greyson stared at the boy with knitted eyebrows because he would rather just work to pay the fine off.

"I need to check if that's an option. However, I want you to know that there are resources available for you. The government is allocating funding to assist people like yourself in finding suitable housing if you are not planning in returning home," Chris explained. "Given the extent of your injuries and the state of your health, it's likely you will need to remain in the hospital until we can secure a safe living arrangement."

Greyson was surprised that he actually got out of the amount of charges. Yes, most of the behaviour for punishment was Luke's doing since his sadistic nature would take over.

"We have an alternative," one man with bright red glasses and a red suit said. "The pass on the condos."

"Wait, so we can actually have those condos built?" Nevaeh urged.

Louis stepped forward, spreading out a small map on the table. "Before anything, we need to consider the dimensions of the rooms, their location, and the amenities and furniture that will go in each unit. Our prime lot options are either in Mississauga or Hamilton."

"Mississauga," River said.

Greyson leaned back on his chair. Even if living near some of these people would get on his own nerves, at least the condo was better than his parents.

"Were these being rented out to adults as well?" Chris inquired.

"No, only those involved in the chaos," River said.

Mississauga is a big place like Toronto, which could be his own restart even though he knows some things will probably never change.

"River will talk about paying the charges for those," Chris said as River stood and walked out of the room with him.

Most of them around were stunned because it didn't feel real. That wasn't the only thing, but there had been something that bugged Greyson about the deaths of Ashley, Divina, and Cassandra.

Why did they melt away instead of burn? It almost seemed like something wasn't exactly right in all of it. Greyson knew there was a difference between sealing someone and dying.

"Something wrong?" Scarlett asked, but Greyson shook his head. She probably felt something off about all of it because it seemed simple for their own child to burn that thing away.

He was no researcher, but something was off. If they had been sealed, that could mean they would be alive instead of dead. If that's true, does that mean this terror isn't over and everything is reassuring until one of them pops up?

It was a profound darkness that enveloped them, an emptiness that felt utterly bare—nothing like being on earth. The late moments of their existence had been in the minds of others who witnessed it: all three of them melted away into ash admit the glowing fires that surrounded them in a beautiful light.

Everyone may have witnessed the disappearance of all three of from earth, but Cassandra's understanding was wrong. It was like they were trapped in a dark box where nobody could see or hear them except three people.

"Get us out of here!" Ashley barked, her teeth grated.

Before her stood a figure that was a human-like shape but different. Its skin a deep navy blue and its glowing purple. The creature's hair was a shade of purple, and extended down to its ear.

"What an idiot you are," Divina taunted, his fists slamming into Ashley's jaw.

Divina wore his usual male illusion, the cold blue eyes and sadistic smile still carved into the borrowed face. Beneath it, he was still Goddess.

It wasn't seeing Ashley's body or Bella's body of them, but it was god and goddess present with their own figment bodies.

"See, the mutant child wants to leave, but she knows this is the best option. It's better to have her die because her parents have the freedom," Divina sneered.

They weren't alive, but they weren't dead either. They were sealed because those monsters weren't going to walk the earth.

Divina laughed, amusement dripping from his voice. "You're still dead, God," he crackled. "And you won't be alive until the mutant child frees us from this place. That means neither of us are leaving, nor will we ever leave."

Cassandra felt a surge of annoyance at this. If she could climb out and leave those two in there to die, that would be perfect. However, she couldn't risk Psycho One and Psycho Two finding a new body to possess.

Yes, they were defeated, and she would claim God and Goddess dead, but she wasn't even if she was burned alive. All it did was burn her body into this place, where they all saw ash on the ground.

She wanted her parents and everyone else to have that freedom, not have God controlling followers or Goddess trying to figure out ways to torture God. She knew she was stronger then, a fact that had been a known fact since her own birth, but using that strength came with its own risks.

"Let me out to murder people! You are just punishing yourself!" God barked.

Cassandra flicked her hand, sending God slamming to the ground.

"Do you really think I would let you out?" Cassandra spat, her eyebrows narrowed.

All three of them were trapped, and allowing those two enter the world would be harmful. She knew she didn't have much of her power left since the fight had drained most of it.

"You sound like a needy child. Maybe you were always an idiot," Divina sneered.

Cassandra held out both palms, directing them at the two of them. She shut her eyes and tried to focus, but her whole body felt so drained of energy and she struggled to find motivation.

"What are you doing?" Divina barked.

Suddenly, something cold and rough pressed against her cheek—stone, not shadow—and Cassandra gasped.

She was lying on the burned plaza, smoke stinging her lungs as sound crashed back into her ears. Her long sleeve ripped near the stomach and right arm. Her arms were covered in dirt and dried blood as she struggled to push herself up.

Had it worked? God and Goddess were completely gone, and she was back to wander the earth? Holding out her palm out, she felt her body float in the air. It was her mutant powers, but her body didn't feel well.

"Are you lost?" a voice asked.

Cassandra looked up to see a woman dressed in a hazardous suit, holding a bucket.

"No," Cassandra spat, wobbling as she walked towards where the bubble had once been.

Everything still looked burned and crispy, but the outside world, where police officers were investigating, making her look back and forth. Her mother told her that laws exist, which means she couldn't send those police officers flying.

"Did you have any involvement in the Simcoe incident?" the female asked.

Cassandra knew she couldn't reveal that she had sealed away the god and goddess.

"I got lost," Cassandra said.

The female police officer nodded and escorted her into a police car, an experience she had never had before. Until now, she travelled bye walking or floating in the sky.

"Here, I'll take you to one of the hospitals in Toronto," the woman said.

Cassandra avoided making eye contact with the police officer, since she didn't like adults. She knew she had to listen and cooperate, as this was not a situation where she could fight back.

"What's your name?" the female police officer asked.

Cassandra's looked out the small window, which was gated by some bars, making it difficult to see the outside.

"Cassandra," she replied.

The female police officer nodded as they arrived at a hospital in Toronto. Cassandra didn't have much knowledge of hospitals, but they might stop the pain in her body.

"This is a survivor of the Simcoe incident," the police officer said to a nurse.

They placed her onto a bed and wheeled her down a hallway filled with people. Most of them were adults, some around her parents' age.

If she concentrated, she could see her parent being taken different rooms for treatment in the hospital. They looked safe, which was a good thing.

She showered her body, her arms were covered in burns and her legs were scraped and bloody. She looked around her empty hospital room, where people gave her food or clothes to change into. People acted natural towards her, like they knew no thing.

Even if she could magically come back to earth, there are still threats looming. It's not that god and goddess are completely gone because sealing won't last where they end up destroying the city.

As she quickly changed into a fresh seat of clothes, and ate some food, she noticed the doctor and nurses starting at her. "What is your last name, Cassandra?" the doctor asked.

Cassandra closed her eyes and tried to locate if any she knew were in the hospital. There was one she knew as she teleported away and landed flat on the ground with her legs crossed.

"How are you alive?" Zane asked.

"They are sealed, but I don't know for how long," Cassandra sighed, slowly standing, and placing both hands on her hips with a grave expression. "We need to completely destroy God and Goddess, but that means finding chemicals. It has to be similar that can wipe them away from the earth."

She didn't know what Zane would do. He's always been the resource planner, but she didn't have the information. The difference now was that there was no bubble trapping them from the outside with adults.

"If they're sealed, does that mean they might roam Earth?" Zane asked.

People are getting the life they need, but there are still chances.

"See, that's why we still have supernatural powers. The thing is, God and Goddess don't have their human forms," she rambled, chewing her pinkie nail.

Zane slowly nodded, staring with narrowed eyes. "Does it have to be with a chemical that could get rid of them?"

Cassandra fell silent, unsure of such a chemical existed anymore. She wasn't a doctor and didn't know much about drugs, other than that they could kill people at times.

"Uh..." she trailed off.

Chemicals weren't something she was exactly taught, but she tried to think back. People did say Uden Academy was blown up with chemicals or were used in weird science experiments.

"Do you need something similar to what Bella's dad created, but with a twist?" Zane asked.

"I don't know this world well enough to understand how it's possible. But, it's the only way to completely eliminate the supernatural powers and the things that seep under the ground," Cassandra sighed.

"Where does this need to be done?" Zane inquired.

"In the ditch where that thing fell in," Cassandra spat. "If we don't, the outside world will have a murderer and another being that will continue to destroy the earth until only the freaks are the supernatural beings left."

She wasn't sure of the chemical mixture would have the effect, but God wanted to eliminate the humans, and Divina was determined to destroy God with whatever it couldn't find.

"I was born as a mutant child to mess with their plans. That's why they're sealed away, but it's as if I had never existed. We don't have much time, but we need to find that chemical," Cassandra remarked.

"Well, James or Cindy would probably know about the chemicals. I would start with one of them before you go anywhere else," Zane suggested.

She wasn't sure if the chemical would only erase God and Goddess, or also the adults. Would it only leave those who survived the event? All she knew was that she wanted both of them gone.

It seems Cassandra and the fallen stars aren't dead...

What do you think will happen with this new information?