Ashley tilted her head with a feral grin, eyes glittering with malice. "You two really thought you could save them?" she sneered. "Idiots."

Cassandra stood frozen, her eyes wide in disbelief as tears streamed down her cheeks. The mutant child—always unpredictable, always powerful—was proving far more to be far more than a challenge.

Those one girl with super speed and the one with ice abilities were now dead, which was great. One of the girls had blood soaking her shirt, while the other had blood dripping down her back.

"Wow, look at me," Divina mocked. "I'm so powerful that a couple humans and now I'm the big bad god."

How dare Divina mimic her actions for what she achieved? It gets her that much closer to killing the rest of these tiny humans, walking out into the world to create her own place.

Suddenly, something invisible clamped under Ashley's ankle, yanking her off her feet. She slammed against the hard ground, her body flipping upside.

Cassandra stood nearby, her hand trembling in the air—barely conscious, but still using that unseen force.

Ashley's skin prickled as heat surged through her limbs, burning from the inside out.

"You took innocent lives," Cassandra rasped. "I don't have much energy, but I'm taking them."

As Cassandra released her grip, Ashley dropped hard on her head. Dazed, she staggered back, eyes fluttering shut.

Panic surged as Ashley raised her hands to use the burning light. Nothing. She tried again. Still nothing. She widened her eyes with confusion and growing terror.

"She took away the high ranks. Oh no," Divina said with mock horror. "Should we all cry now?"

Ashley's blood boiled, teeth clenched teeth as fury and disbelief clawed her mind. How could that mutant child—weak, worn down, barely stranding—steal her powers away like this?

She scrambled to remember what powers she still possessed. But her mind was a void. Every ability, every strength, slipped away.

Cassandra's glare burned her soul, while Divina's cruel laugh echoed around her.

"What did you do to me?" Ashley snapped.

Suddenly, Divina swung her fist and punched Ashley hard on the side of the head. The force of the blow sent her crashing to the ground, landing on her side.

"I erased your memory of your powers," Cassandra said coldly. "You still remember facts, names, everything else. That's the price for making me angry."

Ashley struggled to get up from the ground, but Divina kicked her head back down. This wasn't how her plan was supposed to go after she killed those two humans.

"You shouldn't have killed those humans, God," Divina sneered. "I've warned you that this mutant child is stronger than us. It's not just about raw power; she knows how to use. And guess what? Once your powers vanish, mine return."

Ashley eyes snapped wide as she struggled to turn her head, but before she could, Divina's boot crushed her back down again.

"Impossible," Ashley spat through clenched teeth. "None of this should be happening."

Divina clapped her hands slowly. "Well, that just makes things easier for us. You're nothing but a pathetic joke."

Suddenly, a sparkling light flickered toward Ashley, scattering sparks in every direction. She raised her palm, desperate to stop it, but when she tried to summon her telekinesis, nothing moved.

"Oh my gosh!" Nevaeh shouted, hurling the sparkler straight at Ashley.

Ashley flinched as the sparkler's glow brushed her leg, but she stayed still, her mind thick and sluggish.

Ahead four figures moved: Cassandra, dragging the dead bodies with fading strength; River, clutching more sparklers. What were those used for? Decorations? They couldn't possibly fight with those, could they?

River threw a sparkler at her, causing her skin to sizzle and melt away. Ashley screamed, throwing it toward the four people nearby. She felt a bang to the head as she tossed the object towards the four nearby.

Ashley's blurred gaze caught Divina gripping a heavy rock, eyes gleaming with delight. "James brought this," Divina sneered. "Isn't it perfect? A few good bashes to the head sound like a delightful experience."

There was no sympathy in Divina's smile, but twisted enjoyment. Ashley's blood seethed. Even as Emma and James wept over the dead, all she could do was feel rage. Why were they crying over them when she was being torn apart in front of their eyes? These stupid humans always thought they could win.

Divina grabbed the few strands of hair clinging to Ashley, yanking her scalp back. "She can't even remember her own powers," Divina said. "And the best part? She doesn't have Jason or Greyson's abilities. It's all perfect."

Ashley strained to reccall anything—her powers, the mutants' powers, even the abilities used against her months ago, but her mind was blank. Everything she had once known, every fight, every tactic, had vanished.

"She doesn't remember?" Emma's voice cracked.

"So," Divina said with a wicked grin. "We're playing a game of revenge now. I call it."

Ashley glared up at Divina, her mind spinning with desperation. She tried to remember anything—any power, even ones that weren't hers—but nothing resurfaced. Just silence.

Her head slammed against the cracked asphalt on the highway, vision swimming as she stared at Divina.

"Go on, James," Divina taunted. "Let it out. Get all that anger out."

Ashley furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, trying to make sense of James's fury. What had she done to him? All she'd done was revel in power of victorious acts of murder. That wasn't harm. That was necessary.

Without warning, something heavy smashed into the side of her head. Stars burst behind her eyes as the world tilted. Through the blur, she saw James standing over her, gripping a thick tree branch, his hands shaking.

"Don't you get it, God?" Divina snarled, crouching beside her. "When you kill, you leave damage behind. Real harm. Cassandra's done playing your games. And what kind of god are you now that you can't remember the power you once had?"

Ashley wobbled as she forced herself into a sitting position, the world spinning wildly a round her. She felt as if the ground beneath her was swallowing her whole.

When she tried to stand, a sharp pain stabbed through her throat, making her gasp. Her eyes darted around, searching for the source of the attack, but every movement sent waves of agony.

"I used to be pretty good at archery on the Wii," Cindy said, tightening her grip on the now loaded with a sharp arrow. "Eden gave this to me."

Ashley widened her eyes, as she struggled to yank the arrow out of her neck. It was stuck in her neck just like the stick had been in her eyes. She remembered how she managed to remove the stick, which she attempted to take out. However, Divina punched her in the eye.

"You'll pay for this," Ashley growled through clenched teeth, forcing herself to stand with the arrow still hanging from her neck.

She stretched her palms out, willing the blue light to blaze forth, but nothing happened. The cruel torture seemed endless. Narrowing her eyes in defiance, she suddenly felt herself sinking into the ground.

"Tell me, does your heart stop at the party when my name drops?" Mia sang dramatically. "Like you've stood at the platform when the trains cross. Are you hurting? Yeah, you must be, or it's just me?"

They had sped away from the chaos they'd left behind, which probably wasn't the smartest move. Cassandra might put out the fire since he didn't want to be burned to death.

"Why can't I sing sad songs? What's wrong with that?" Mia protested, hands on her hips. "Would you rather listen to Eden's boring church hymns? Didn't think so. Let me have my moment with the sad songs."

Bryce shot her a sideways smirk. "Oh, here we go. Are you about to start crying now?"

"But I'm only human, and I bleed when I fall down. I'm only human, and I crash when I break down," Mia sang.

Bryce caught sight of Mia clutching her hand like a microphone, fully lost in her own world. He shook his head, silently confirming that her mind was orbiting somewhere far away—probably another planet.

"You don't actually crash when you break down!" Will laughed, shaking his head.

The sky loomed dark and ominously overheard, while flames roared wildly around them, sending thick, choking clouds of smoke billowing into the sky.

Despite the chaos erupting around them, Emma had apparently chosen to help with the fireworks instead of staying safe at camp. The thought gnawed at Bryce, his heart pounding with worry for her safety.

"Your girlfriend is safe," Will said casually. "She's with a small group, but I spot Esme or Jade's location anywhere."

Mia tried to push herself up from the truck's floor, but before she could steady herself, Eden yanked her wrist sharply. The sudden pull sent Mia's nose smashed against the radio console, and she slumped awkwardly back onto the floor.

"Since Bryce is actually worried for once," Will snarked with his tongue out.

"I want to see more fireworks! They were so pretty," Mia whined, her eyes sparkling.

This was always the routine whenever they found themselves on the run from campus—Mia complaining nonstop about everything, from what they had to do to the songs she insisted on singing.

Meanwhile, Will and Eden teamed up, usually succeeding in shutting her up, at least for a little while.

"Are we gonna zoom our way and be the ultimate super boyfriend?" Will teased.

"Oh, I was just thinking about taking some swimming lessons in the water instead," Bryce shot back.

Will blinked slowly, completely missing the sarcasm as if the joke had flown over his head.

"It's called sarcasm, you idiot," Eden muttered.

Will could be rational—sometimes. But most often than not, he slipped into full-on airhead mode, a trait he shared with Mia. Like that time they tried to camp out at the bottom of a hotal waterslide, only to get shoved into the pool by Eden.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you two haven't died yet," Bryce said, pointing at Will and Mia. "If this were some cliché horror movie, both idiots would have been the first to go."

Eden chimed in with an innocent smile, "Well, it's not over yet."

Bryce narrowed his eyes at the road ahead, catching a glimpse of the edge of the barrier. Beyond it, faint flashes of street lights and glowing buildings flickered in the distance. He brought the truck to a halt, prompting immediate complaints from Mia.

"I think I see some people up ahead," he said casually, leaning forward over the wheel.

He had parked the truck just along the side of the barrier's edge, the area that led into Simcoe. Off to the right, a long, empty road stretched a way from the town. Near the barrier, by a closed McDonald's, sat a lone police car.

"Maybe if I sing, it'll wake them up," Mia said.

"Their ears will probably start bleeding if you do," Bryce snickered.

Will burst out laughing, loud enough that the police officer finally stepped out of his car.

"Nice going, Will. Now he's probably going to come arrest us," Mia groaned.

Bryce squinted into the dark, making out a tall figure approaching. The man wore plain black and blue clothes, not a typical police uniform. As he drew closer, Bryce spotted a gun holstered at his side and a gleaming badge pinned to the left side of his chest.

"I figured someone would show up here sooner or later," the officer said.

Will smirked, mocking, "I figured you'd come because you want to arrest us all."

Bryce snickered and flicked his light toward the man's face, revealing a bushy beard and short, greasy ginger hair framing dark green eyes.

"I need to ask you some questions," the main said, his voice firm. "Name's John Iverson, Ashley's dad."

"You mean the thing terrorizing us?" Eden sneered an innocent smile twisting her lips. "What a joyous occasion that people are dying every day. Soon we'll all be dead and it'll be your fault."

John let out a tired sigh. "I need to speak to Zane or Jason about this, if either of them sre around."

John's gaze lingered on them, especially Eden, who casually flickered her lighter while slinging a gardening hose around her shoulder. None of them looked innocent, but Eden's delinquency beneath that innocent smile seemed to explain a lot—almost like a shield for everyone that bad gone wrong.

Most people's first impression of Eden was that devout Catholic freak, someone who could recite the Bible by heart. But in truth, she was the kind of girl who wouldn't hesitate to set a building on fire if the mood struck her.

"I don't see them around," Mia said, starting to dance around.

Bryce wondered if the offer expected them to spill every detail. But there was one question that had been eating at him.

"Why on earth were you spying on us? You're starting to sound like those creepy stalkers," Bryce shot back.

"Undercover police officer," John said flatly.

At that, Mia and Will burst into laughter, collapsing onto the ground in fits of giggles, their eyes flickering over to Eden with amused grins.

"This cop's definitely go you in his sights, Eden," Will sneered.

Eden barely flinched at Will's gab.

Over the years, they'd grown used to the warnings—that sneaking off campus would mean expulsion or worse consequence. No matter how wild their adventures got, it always ended with some cop dragging them back.

"I'm not here to make arrests," John said firmly. "I need to ask you some questions about Ashley. What's really going on with her?"

Bryce chimed in with a smirk. "People say this purple goo went inside her knee."

Eden sneered, "Then that stuff took over her body, and suddenly we're left fighting for o ur lives. It's that thing's fault for trapping us here. She is the one who burned down Uden Academy."

Bryce pressed his lips tight, noting the flicker of shock crossing John's face.

Eden had a habit of shifting blame whenever the police come knocking, especially when a party went south.

"She set the entire building," Will added grimly. "No one knows why she picked an empty school to burn."

This was their routine—cover for each other, spin the story, and chalk it up to an accident or pin it on someone else. It's how they got away with nearly everything.

"Ashley always does stuff without a reason," Mia slurred, rolling lazily on the ground before Bryce stepped intentionally on her hand. "Ow! Get off my hand! I'm telling Emma you're bullying me again!"

"How did she even have the ability to burn down an entire school?" John asked suspiciously.

"Fire," Eden replied flatly.

John looked puzzled but scribbled notes onto a small pad. He nodded slowly, casting a skeptical glance over at the group. Bryce wondered if he might've been one of the officers who dealt with Mia before.

"Am I out of my head? Am I out of my mind? If you only knew the bad things I like," Mia sang theatrically, twirling around.

John narrowed his eyes as Will and Mia belted out the lyrics at full volume. Bryce honestly didn't know how the two of them had survived the storm—Will had be Will stuck at Uden, and Mia was just being Mia.

"Aren't you the four involved in the Walmart incident?" John asked.

"Yeah, but that's all sorted out now," Will said, waving it off.

"Actually," John said. "The officer involved ended up with a broken jaw and fractured ribs. I'm guessing nobody bothered to tell you that part."

The three of them exchanged glances, then looked to Eden, whose eyes gleamed with a dangerous edge. None of them had been told about the officer's injuries before—the focus had only been on the shoplifting, drug use, and the chaos Eden had unleashed.

Bryce remembered they were attempting to steal popsicles and ice cream, but Mia accidentally dropped hers. As they were fleeing the store, the people greeter said something and they were confronted by a staff member. Eden had kicked the man in the stomach, but when they reached their CRV, a police officer was already there. He tried to reason with them, telling them to put the stolen items back, or they would be charged.

They knew the risks, but Eden wasn't about to back down. Her emotions flickered like a switch—either icy calm or explosive rage. That volatility was why she lost it on the officer before they were tasered; she believed sheer defiance was their only way to resist.

For months, they were kept under strict surveillance, confined to their dorms with no chance to leave, except for class.

They were forced to write reflection letters about their behaviour. The headmistress demanded Eden to write an apology to the injured officer, but she never complied. It wasn't forgetfulness; she simply had no remorse for what'd she'd done.

"So, why should I care? It's not my problem," Eden sneered coldly. "That guy should count himself lucky. What he got was nothing compared to what I've done to others."

"That's a serious offence," John said firmly, his eyes narrowing.

"And what about the offence committed by a mother who kills her own child, or a father who left the country?" Eden shot back.

Eden told them the grim story of her mother killing her oldest sister—an event she had witnessed firsthand. It sounded like something straight out of a true crime documentary, which apparently had been created.

"If that's all you wanted to know, then we're done here," Eden said, flashing a cold smile.

Bryce spun on his heel with a smirk as Mia and Will danced playfully back to the truck.

"I can't believe he actually thinks Ashley was the one who set Uden on fire," Mia laughed, shaking her head. "People are such idiots these days."

Bryce caught Eden mischievous gaze locked on them. "A court hearing will make things easier," she said.

"I really don't want to go through court again," Mia groaned, flopping into the truck's seat. "I'm counting on the Highlighter to get us off the hook. After all, we are all abandoned anyway."

It wasn't the delinquent antics that truly connected them—it was the shared pain of abandonment.

Bryce's parents hadn't even said goodbye before shipping him off, and since his brother Jace was already eighteen, there was no point sending him off to Uden Academy.

He didn't care much about any of that; all he wanted was to live on his own terms, even if that meant defying his parents' rules.

"No birthday cards or Christmas gifts. All because we're disappointments," Will said.

Despite everything, they burst into laughter. Whether by blood or by choice, this ragtag group would was the closet thing to family Bryce had ever known.

Cindy stared down at the ground, her fingers gripping the a bow and arrow. Although she wasn't trained in archery, she had managed to figure out how to shoot an arrow. Seeing a gun near her right foot, she picked it up to stare at the bloody pistol.

It was quiet, which Cindy could tell people had died. Nearby, Cassandra lay asleep on the ground, which Divina stared with annoyance that she was sleeping.

Emma and James were sitting on the ground beside each other, not saying anything. River looked around as if he didn't know what to do as Nevaeh attempted to light another sparkler.

"Well," Nevaeh started. "We should probably attempt to share the news."

Divina scoffed at the suggestion. "Hah! I'm going to find that stupid god," Divina spat. "I'm not sticking around for some depression and sleeping mutant child." With that she ran off.

Cindy watched as River came toward her, looking awkwardly around the scene. "I think Cassandra knows what happens," he mumbled.

She crouched down to see the sleeping girl on the ground, tears still on her cheeks. Cassandra had probably been upset that she couldn't save Esme and Jade, whatever had happened.

With a gentle motion, Cindy carefully passed the bow and arrow to River, who knitted his eyebrows. She then carefully lifted Cassandra, who was still sleeping soundly, which made her wonder where she should bring her. Did she bring her back to camp to sleep? Scarlett is out in Simcoe, which made her press her lips together.

When she bopped away, she landed inside Scarlett's RV. Cindy slowly laid Cassandra down on the pull-out bed, staring down at her. She helped deliver this child, who had been upset she couldn't save two people.

Cassandra has a pure heart underneath that determination and stubbornness when she wanted to get something done. She wants to try and save those around her without more dying.

Feeling tears in her eyes, Ciney wiped them away with the back of her hand. She didn't even know why she was crying.

"I tried my best," Cassandra mumbled.

Cindy didn't say anything but bopped away into Simcoe. She looked around; it had been empty until she felt a hand pull her ankle, falling on the flat ground.

"Ow," Cindy grumbled.

Mallory waved her arms back and forth, pointing around the plaza as if Cindy had missed something. "There were these things. And they looked like they were going to eat us like that vacuum cleaner," she said.

It's not possible to get eaten by a vacuum cleaner, but Cindy wasn't going to say anything about it. She was already exhausted of bopping around, along with hearing about death.

"Those alien things?" Cindy asked. "Cassandra cleared them away."

She looked around the burned-down street of houses. She assumed that her own house was reduced to ash, just like most of the houses here.

"So, we all don't have to hide?" Mallory asked, letting out a long sigh and looking around. "The other three went to the plaza, while I stayed on the lookout."

"I need Scarlett," Cindy said.

"Why? What happened? Did something bad happen?" Mallory began to ask.

Cindy remained silent but walked with Mallory to the destroyed plaza. She saw Mark and Angel search through the rubble of the buildings while looking around a piece of broken road. Scarlett first saw her with knitted eyebrows, clearly confused by her arrival.

"There's been an incident," Cindy announced, loud enough for Mark and Angel to look back.

"Did Ashley burn camp?" Angel panicked.

Cindy grabbed Scarlett's forearm to bop her inside the trailer. Her eyes grew wide as she looked for an answer.

"Exhaustion," Cindy said. "And Jade and Esme were killed while she was there." It's what she assumed happened when she arrived, but she didn't know the true reason.

She quickly bopped away back to the highway. As she walked, she noticed Nevaeh playing with a sparkler, while Emma and River gazed up at the sky.

"I'm pretty sure they are going to fall off," Emma panicked, wiping away tears.

"They'll be fine," Nevaeh said.

Just then, Jason went flying off the table in the air and fell flat on the dead grass. Cindy eyes widened, as she saw Greyson struggling to prevent a large table from skidding to the ground.

"For the record, I didn't push him," Greyson clarified.

Emma rushed to Greyson's side while Cindy slowly approached the scene. To her surprise, Jason wobbly stood up, seemingly unharmed.

"Wait, we thought Ashley was here," Greyson said.

"She disappeared, or something. Divina's unhinged-ass is hunting her down, while Cassandra is back at camp. The good news is that she doesn't have your powers," Nevaeh pointed out, gesturing to Greyson and Jason. "Esme and Jade were shot before we set off more fireworks."

Why hadn't Esme run away before she was shot? Wouldn't that have been the better option? Unless Esme wasn't the first one shot. Did that mean Jade was shot first, causing Esme to panic, and then Ashley shot them? How did Divina not intervene? There were endless questions, but only Cassandra have the answers.

"Eden burned down Uden Academy," Jason coughed.

"I knew it," Emma mumbled. "Bryce said that Eden can be just as crazy as Luke."

"Mia always says she used to burn things all the time," Nevaeh chimed in. "She's drugged people to get away from their illegal activities that they pulled at Uden."

Cindy assumed the crackheads were just a bunch of partiers, but they were actually a powerful group with a variety of skills. However, they had a bit of everything that made them powerful, even if they were all stoners. Bryce had the looks, Mia had the drugs, Eden had the violence, and Will had the money.

According to Nevaeh, Will had access to his parents' bank account without their knowledge, meaning they were draining his parents' money.

Was this why Zane teamed them all together? It wasn't just that they were all crazy, but they actually worked well together.

"Give me some of those fireworks," Greyson said, looking at River. He grabbed a black box and snatched it from his hands. "We'll give that thing a show."

Jason stumbled, attempting to catch up with where Greyson had been walking. The five of them stared for a moment before Nevaeh started running around with a sparkler in her hand. It burned just like their world had in since all of this started.

They might be able to get out of this place once Cassandra recovers, but for now, they were just trying not to die. Cindy didn't like this game, especially since it seemed like it was coming to a final endgame.

Do you enjoy learning about the crackheads behaviour from the past?